3G & 4G: What Does It Really Mean?

The terms "3G" and "4G" are used often these days, but what do they really mean?

When purchasing a new mobile phone, it's important to know the difference between the two. Which phone is going to fit your lifestyle the best? Here at the BrandsMart Answer Lab, we can help.

The first thing to clarify is what the term "3G" and "4G" really stand for. The "G" stands for "Generation."  3G was the third generation of cell phone, and 4G is the fourth.

3G came into existence when phones demanded more than just voice calling. 3G has been around since 2003, and was the first real practical speed to surf the internet from your phone. 3G allowed you to read emails, handle the size of most attachments, upload photos, and even stream music with reasonable quality and speed.

As time went on, the growing demand for downloading content was exceeding 3G's capability. Things like streaming movies, downloading folders of large data, and managing social media throughout the day called for a new technology that could handle this with speed. Thus, 4G was developed. This "fourth generation" technology is theoretically the fastest standard of mobile phone speed, depending on your Wireless provider and signal power. 4G mobile phones can work on both 4G and 3G networks, too.

Now that you know the difference, how do you know which one to get?

Here are some things to consider. 4G is fast, but 3G can be just as fast depending on signal strength. Actual speed varies by the Wireless carrier, and there are minimum standards required to advertise a network is 3G or 4G.  Since 3G has been around so long, some networks have improved their 3G performance above the theoretical 4G minimum. Again, 4G phones can connect to a 3G network, meaning if you're in an area where 4G towers are not available, your 4G phone can use the 3G towers to get data. However, the reverse is not true about 3G phones.

If you use your mobile phone to make calls, occasionally check something on the web, text message, and don't prioritize downloading or streaming some content from your mobile device, 3G may work for you. If you like to do all these things, as well as manage social media, download a decent amount of content, send photos, and surf the web frequently, 4G would be a better option for you.

Now, if you're the type of person who likes streaming heavy types of data -like movies- from your phone, downloading large amounts of content, and surfing the net throughout the day, a 4G LTE phone is made for you. LTE means "Long Term Evolution," and it is the fastest 4G protocol--built from the ground up to handle large amounts of data. The difference between 3G and 4G LTE will be noticeably faster. LTE is the newest and most advanced network in the United States, meaning that it is the fastest in the market.

Depending on your lifestyle and how you use your mobile device, 3G, 4G and 4G LTE are all great choices. Here at BrandsMart, we love to talk mobile speed, and we've got the latest technology to hurry you on your way.  Plus, the expert staff to answer any questions at any time. Come in today and check it out for yourself! 

Above content provided by BrandsMart USA