IT168 evaluates the fourth generation of mobile phone mobile communication technology standards. This long list of English is what the author wants to talk to you today. Although it seems very profound, it actually translates to the abbreviation of the fourth generation mobile communications and its technology. To put it simply, it is actually the 4G network. Recently, China Mobile's 4G network has begun trial operation. In what aspects is the claimed 100M downlink speed improved compared to the 3G network? Are there any mobile phones on the market that can support the mobile 4G network? Today I will give you a first try .
1. What exactly is 4G?
In fact, as ordinary consumers, every time they go to the operator’s business hall, they will be confused by the terms 2G, 3G, and 4G. Confused, what exactly is 4G? At the beginning of the article, we will first popularize knowledge about 4G networks. We divide users into three categories: ordinary users, geek users and professional users, from the simplest to the most advanced. Let me introduce to you the definition and history of 4G network.
Ordinary users
Compared with 3G network, 4G network is a newer generation network standard. Its biggest feature is that the network speed is faster, and the standard of 4G network is that users can move at high speeds. Can reach network speed of 100Mbps. In layman's terms, if a mobile phone with a 3G network can watch standard-definition videos, then watching ultra-definition videos with a 4G network should be stress-free. Recently, China Mobile's TD-LTE standard 4G network is about to be commercialized. If you want to upgrade the 4G network by then, the cost of the upgrade will be to replace your mobile phone with a new one that supports mobile 4G networks. There are already a number of mobile 4G mobile phones on the market, and they will be released after waiting for 4G to become commercially available.
Geek users
▲A list of world network standards
We have always emphasized mobile 4G before. Mobile 4G is a 4G network led by China Mobile with independent intellectual property rights. Its evolution process is GSM? TD-SCDMA? TD-LTE. I believe that as a geek user, you must have heard of FDD-LTE. Its evolution process is GSM?WCDMA?HPSA?FDD-LTE. FDD-LTE looks more like the result of the evolution of China Unicom's 3G. But this does not mean that China Unicom will launch FDD-LTE network in the domestic market. According to the current news, the future 4G pattern in the domestic market is likely to be that China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom will jointly lay out TD-LTE networks. After the construction of TD-LTE networks with independent intellectual property rights, After a certain level, all three operators have the right to apply for other 4G standards, such as FDD-LTE networks. More generally, in the future, both China Mobile and China Telecom will provide users with TD-LTE 4G networks.
Professional users
▲The working principles of TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE
As we mentioned earlier, there are currently two mainstream 4G standards in the world? TD -LTE, FDD-LTE (operators such as US operator Sprint have previously launched WiMAX 4G networks for a short period of time, but due to the withdrawal of leading manufacturer Intel, WiMAX has gradually withdrawn from the stage of history). First of all, TD-LTE and FDD-LTE are both 4G network standards recognized by the International Telecommunications Union, which means that both networks have reached the standards of 4G networks. The differences between these two standards mainly focus on the following points:
TD-LTE has better support for scattered frequency bands, which greatly reduces the cost of operators purchasing frequency bands. Due to limited spectrum resources, operators generally purchase frequency bands at sky-high prices (foreign communication frequency bands can be purchased by operators through bidding).
Due to long-term evolution, FDD-LTE technology is relatively mature, and a single base station covers a larger area and is more efficient.
To sum up, we understand the meaning of multiple terms such as 4G network, TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, and also have a general understanding of the history of 4G evolution. In fact, what ordinary users should remember is that 4G network speeds would be faster.
So what kind of experience will it be like to use faster network speeds on mobile phones? How is the network speed? Is it stable or unstable? What are the tariffs? Questions such as these will be covered on the next page.
2. How is the 4G experience?
I believe that after reading the previous definition of 4G, you will have many questions like the author. Can the TD-LTE network really reach the downlink speed of 100Mbps? Is it stable? Will it be disconnected? Will the tariff be expensive? In this part of the article, we will answer these questions one by one.
How is the network speed?
As we mentioned earlier, one of the definitions of 4G network is that the downlink speed can reach 100Mbps. At present, the broadband speed at home is generally 4Mbps for copper wire and 10Mbps for optical fiber/ 20Mbps, so the TD-LTE mobile 4G network has completely overwhelmed the broadband at home? Is this true? Let’s test it.
▲Zhongguancun outdoor network speed downlink 40Mbps
First of all, the test location is Zhongguancun, outdoors. The signal condition is good. Through multiple tests, we can see that after the Samsung N7108D is inserted into the mobile 4G card, the downlink speed is generally maintained above 40Mbps, and the uplink speed is generally maintained at around 20Mbps. It is already several times faster than the speed of fiber optic broadband at home. Converted to a real download speed of more than 5M/S, that is to say, it only takes less than 3 minutes and 30 seconds to download a 1GB file. You must know that this speed is the speed at which a 512K broadband downloads an mp3 song. I have to lament that the Internet speed upgraded too quickly and happiness came too suddenly.
▲Zhongguancun indoor network speed test downlink 10Mbps
After the test environment was moved indoors, the effect was greatly reduced. The mobile phone that had a full signal just downstairs will have a 1-bar signal when it comes indoors, and sometimes there will be a 0-bar signal. We conducted comparative tests indoors on China Mobile 4G, China Unicom 3G and China Telecom 3G. The test results are shown in the figure above. Although China Mobile's 4G signal is extremely poor, it still ranks first with an average of 14Mbps in multiple tests. China Unicom's 3G network speed is also very impressive, reaching 6Mbps. China Telecom's 3G network generally maintains around 1Mbps.
▲Indoor test network 4G is leading
It is not accidental that the outdoor signal is good but there is no signal or poor signal indoors. The author also has signals outdoors and indoors near my home. Quite a difference. The reason for this situation is first of all because there are fewer base stations in the TD-LTE network. Secondly, the signal penetration of the TD-LTE network base station may be weaker. However, I believe that with the issuance of 4G licenses and the joint construction of networks by the three major operators, this problem will be alleviated. In comparison, we see that China Unicom 3G, for example, has become very stable after more than four years of operation.
How is the stability? Will there be disconnections?
When China Unicom's 3G WCDMA was first commercialized, there were frequent disconnections and no 3G service. In fact, the reason for this situation is very simple? There are fewer base stations. We also tested whether the mobile 4G network is stable. Within the Third Ring Road in Beijing, the network is still very stable in outdoor environments. However, TD-LTE may drop out to the TD-SCDMA network indoors, and it is difficult to automatically connect to the TD-LTE network. This is actually a manifestation of the lack of base stations.
In terms of network speed, mobile 4G is currently very stable. There will be no situation where the signal is full but the network cannot be connected. And depending on the strength of the signal, the network speed is basically in a state of linear decline. However, due to the current small number of mobile 4G internal testing users, it is no exaggeration to say that a base station that can connect tens of thousands of users currently only serves a few users. Whether the specific network speed is stable will have to wait until it is officially commercialized and used by large-scale users. Only then can we draw a conclusion.
Charge situation
As network speed increases, traffic will inevitably increase. In the GPRS Internet era, a monthly traffic of 200M was considered a large traffic user. However, in the 3G era, our traffic suddenly reached the GB mark. But the current 3G tariffs are not cheap yet. So will 4G tariffs be daunting to users? A few days ago, Guangdong Mobile leaked the tariffs for 4G packages, dispelling our doubts.
▲Guangzhou Mobile exposed 4G tariff list
From the tariff table, we can see.
If the user only chooses a traffic package separately: he can choose from 1GB traffic for 50 yuan to 3GB traffic for 100 yuan. The tariff is much cheaper than that of 3G network. And the author’s dark thought is that after the 4G network is commercialized, will the price of 3G traffic be significantly reduced? If so, it will also benefit the majority of current 3G users.
Network coverage
Network coverage is also another major issue in the popularization of 4G networks. The author understands that most provinces across the country are currently building or planning to build a TD-LTE 4G network. And they have also launched pilot areas one after another. The author here will introduce to you the situation of several key cities.
Beijing: 4G network is one of the supporting facilities for Beijing to build an "optical network city" integrating urban and rural areas. In 2015, Beijing’s 5th Ring Road will be fully covered with 4G networks. Currently, only a few key areas, such as Guomao, Sanlitun, Zhongguancun, Lao Guozhan, etc., are covered by 4G networks. However, Subway Line 10, where the author spends a lot of time commuting every day, does not cover the 4G network. In fact, it is a very good idea to cover public transportation in the early stage. After all, the time when citizens travel on public transportation is the time when the demand for Internet access is greatest.
Shanghai: Shanghai is a pioneer city in the popularization of 4G networks. As early as July, mobile 4G networks have been basically popularized in the inner ring of Shanghai, and the popularization work in the outer ring is currently being stepped up.
Guangzhou: Guangzhou Mobile is even more enthusiastic about 4G networks, and Guangzhou is also a city with the lowest wireless Internet access rates in the country. According to the author’s understanding, Guangzhou plans to provide 4G network coverage to 88% of the urban population by the end of the year. This is also one of the fastest cities in the country to lay out 4G networks.
▲Shenzhen TD-LTE network coverage
Shenzhen: Shenzhen has now achieved basically full coverage in Futian District, Luohu District and Nanshan District, and Shenzhen has also carried out inspections on some buildings. With full network coverage, there will be no situation where the outdoor signal is good and the network is disconnected in the building as mentioned by the author earlier. Shenzhen Mobile has also produced a 4G coverage map on its official website to provide users with a more intuitive understanding.
To sum up, from the perspective of Beijing, where the author lives, it is still too early to commercialize 4G networks. Beijing’s 4G network coverage is more experiential. However, I believe that with the issuance of 4G licenses, 4G network construction will be greatly accelerated. We have also mentioned before that most of the mobile phones currently on the market do not support mobile 4G networks. If you want to experience mobile 4G networks, you need to change to a mobile phone that supports mobile 4G. Although the network is not yet commercially available, many manufacturers have launched many TD-LTE mobile phones. In the next part of the article, we will introduce you to several representative TD-LTE mobile phones.
3. Existing TD-LTE mobile phone collection
Currently, many brands including Samsung, HTC, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Tianyu and Coolpad have successively launched TD-LTE mobile phones. LTE mobile phones are just waiting for 4G to be commercialized before they go on sale. Therefore, users do not have to worry about the situation of having network but not having machine. In this part of the article, we will briefly introduce several TD-LTE mobile phones, and take a look at how much attention each manufacturer attaches to TD-LTE.
▲Some existing mobile 4G mobile phones
Samsung N7108D (Galaxy Note 2 TD-LTE version)
It can be easily seen from the naming, Samsung N7108D It is a variant of the previous Note2 (N7100), and it generally continues the hardware configuration of the Galaxy Note2, such as a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, upgraded to Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.9Ghz processor, 8 million pixels and 3100 mAh battery capacity, etc., the software has been upgraded to the latest Android 4.2.2 operating system, and has built-in related mobile applications and 4G services. In the signal part, Samsung N7108D will have two signal modes stored, namely 4G and 2G. The 4G part will be used to realize network data, and the 2G network will provide traditional voice communication services, so it can be called single card dual standby. , and there is still a single card slot inside the fuselage. The price should not be cheaper than Samsung N7018.
▲Samsung N7108D
Samsung’s current flagship models are Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and both models support FDD-LTE 4G networks abroad. However, the first model launched for the mobile TD-LTE network in the domestic market was a variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. This shows that Samsung has cooperated with China Mobile on 4G for a long time and hopes to launch a relatively affordable model. The highest, yet highly recognized model.
Sony Xperia SP M35T
Sony M35t is Sony’s first 4G/TD-LTE smartphone jointly released by Sony Mobile and China Mobile on June 25 this year. At the subsequent MAE Mobile Asia Expo and GTI, the 4.6-inch, 720p high-definition screen was equipped with the second-generation Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine image processing engine. The 8-megapixel camera equipped with the M35t is equipped with a mobile version of the Exmor RS multilayer image sensor and has 16x digital zoom capabilities. In addition, when M35t is launched, it will be pre-installed with China Mobile customized services and Internet applications such as Fetion and Mobile MM Mall.
▲Sony One of Mobile China’s localization strategies this year. At the just-concluded Sony 2013 autumn new product launch conference, Mr. Huang Guoqiang, President of Sony Mobile Greater China, also emphasized to reporters: In the future, Sony Mobile China will not only launch more competitive products and services, but at the same time, it will also implement A more in-depth operator cooperation strategy. ?
Tianyu Bumblebee 4G
Tianyu Bumblebee 4G is Tianyu’s first 4G mobile phone, equipped with Qualcomm platform, equipped with Qualcomm MSM8930 dual-core 1.4GHz processor, 5.5-inch 720P resolution The combination of screen, 13-megapixel main camera, 2500mAh memory, 8GB ROM and 1GB RAM ensures that the machine can run smoothly. In terms of network, it supports mobile TD-LTE 4G network.
▲Tianyu Bumblebee 4G
Since Tianyu launched the Tianyu Bumblebee V8, few flagship models have been launched. It’s not that Tianyu is not doing its job properly, but that Tianyu has adjusted its business center to 4G business. However, the delay in issuing 4G licenses has hindered Tianyu’s pace of launching new phones. I believe that after 4G is commercialized, Tianyu will quickly launch products to meet different needs. Mobile phones that consumers demand.
Huawei G716
Huawei is China Mobile’s TD-LTE network research and development partner and holds many core patents for TD-LTE networks. I believe everyone knows that the G series is Huawei's main cost-effective series. Huawei G716 uses a 5-inch 1280*720 resolution screen, equipped with a Qualcomm platform 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and uses Huawei's Emotion UI, which is deeply customized based on the Android system. The user experience is good. And after the author’s experience, I feel that it works well when used with the mobile TD-LTE network.
▲Huawei G716
Huawei is one of the final important players in TD-LTE network development and base station construction. At the just-concluded Asia Communications Exhibition, Huawei launched a series of products including There are many 4G mobile phones including TD-LTE standard and FDD-LTE standard, and G716 is only one of them.
Huawei Ascend D2 TD-LTE
It is worth mentioning that the TDD version of Huawei Ascend D2 uses Huawei’s self-developed baseband chip, which is currently the only commercial Cat4 baseband chip, the theoretical peak network speed can reach 150Mbps, which is also the accumulation of Huawei's years of research and development on 4G networks. In other aspects, the hardware is basically the same as the regular version of Huawei Ascend D2.
▲Huawei Ascend D2 TD-LTE
The launch of Huawei Ascend D2 TD-LTE and Huawei G716 has initially established a pattern for Huawei’s high-end mobile 4G mobile phones, which is also the current Among the manufacturers that release 4G mobile phones, there are only a few manufacturers that have a high-low mix.
From this point, we can see how much Huawei attaches importance to the TD-LTE network. To paraphrase Bruce Lee, Vice President of Huawei’s terminal mobile phone product line, as soon as the starting gun of 4G is fired, Huawei will definitely take the lead and rush to the front. It also shows how much Huawei attaches importance to 4G.
To sum up, at present, it seems that basically all major manufacturers already have their own TD-LTE mobile phones, and they are waiting for the issuance of 4G licenses to be directly launched. In this way, the question before the majority of consumers becomes whether they will change their smartphones in order to be the first to experience the 4G network? The last page of the article will give you a brief analysis.
4. A summary of issues that 4G users are concerned about
In the last part of the article, the author will give concentrated answers to many topics that users on the Internet are currently more concerned about, and will also provide everyone with Analyze whether it is necessary to replace a 4G mobile phone at this stage?
What is the power consumption of the 4G network?
Answer:
Many users are asking about the power consumption of the 4G network What? Don’t be fanciful. The real situation is 4G>3G>2G. Faster data exchange will definitely bring more energy consumption. The solution: choose a mobile phone with a large capacity battery and turn off the data connection when not using the network.
Is such a fast speed of 4G network useful?
Answer:
Although 4G network is several times or even ten times faster than 3G network, The inherent usage scenarios have not changed. For example, scrolling through Weibo, chatting on WeChat, etc. The 3G network speed can already meet user needs. Although the network speed has doubled, the experience has not been improved accordingly. In fact, this issue has already been discussed in the era of upgrading from 2G to 3G. The final conclusion is that network speed can change people's living habits. In other words, many inherent life patterns will change as the Internet speed increases. 4G is of great significance not only to ordinary consumers, but also in medical, financial and other fields.
How to control the traffic?
Answer:
With such a fast Internet speed? Will there be any leakage of Internet speed? For example, if you open a video and find that you don't like it before watching it, the high-speed 4G network will finish loading the video. Isn't it a big loss? In fact, users don't have to worry too much in this regard, because the author has discovered that mainstream video websites such as Youku currently use a segmented buffering mechanism to prevent unnecessary traffic consumption. Compared with wasted video loading, users should pay more attention to malware stealing traffic.
Can the Hong Kong version of iPhone 5S support mobile 4G?
Answer:
We will conduct detailed tests to solve this mystery for you.
Will Apple launch a customized version of iPhone 5S from China Mobile?
Answer:
Yes. Recently, China Mobile’s TD-LTE version of iPhone 5S has obtained network access permission from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and will soon Listed.
Is it worth buying a 4G mobile phone now?
Answer:
Having said so much, we started with the definition of 4G, talked about the 4G experience, and then talked about the current situation. 4G mobile phone. So is it suitable to buy a 4G mobile phone and change the 4G number now? We can see that the initial mobile 4G network coverage is still not as mature as 3G, and the models are not as rich as the current 3G mobile phones. So if you have recently purchased a new phone, or you are a 3G user of China Unicom or China Telecom, the author recommends that you purchase mobile routing and other equipment to experience mobile 4G. If you are a mobile user and have not changed your mobile phone for a while, you can choose to buy a mobile 4G mobile phone, or wait for the upcoming mobile customized iPhone 5S.
To sum up, we briefly experienced the mobile 4G network. Of course, this is only the beginning of mobile 4G and the beginning of our experience article. I believe that Mobile 4G will be commercially available soon, and then we will take a look at the performance of TD-LTE.