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How to force your phone to use LTE or 5G
It's not easy to do, but some phones allow you to force one network type over the other
4G LTE has been the gold standard for phone connectivity for a decade, but the best 5G smartphones are starting to take over. With C-Band officially rolled out, 5G is now more widespread than ever, so knowing how to switch between the two networks is essential, especially if you run into connection problems. If, for some reason, 4G LTE, 5G, or both don't work on your phone, here's how you can make sure both services are activated.
Picking up one of our favorite 5G-compatible phones is a great way to improve your connectivity, but even the best phones can't always maintain a perfect connection. Your location, carrier, or phone plan can affect signal strength, but determining the exact cause can be challenging.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go have LTE?
What you need to know about LTE connectivity in the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go
Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook Go is one of the best Samsung Chromebooks for people who are often on the move. It's built to a high standard (as with most Samsung hardware), has nimble performance and respectable battery life, and has the right ports to connect accessories and extra storage. Not only is it extra portable thanks to a sleek and lightweight design, but its standard Wi-Fi 6 wireless capabilities are also joined by optional 4G LTE. Let's explore how to get 4G LTE with your laptop, what the extra feature will cost, and why it's a feature worth adding.
Getting a 5G-enabled phone right now is likely to cost you an arm and a leg, given the tech’s exclusivity to premium models. That’s set to change as Xiaomis of the world are leveraging the recently announced Snapdragon 765 series to bring 5G connectivity to cheaper handsets. Following its last week’s teaser, Xiaomi today announced the Redmi K30 5G in its home market for under $300 along with a 4G variant that’s even cheaper.
The Samsung Galaxy S10+ has been noted to have reception issues on several carriers. The problem seems to be worse on Sprint, where not only the S10+, but also the S10 and S10e are having problems with LTE. Software updates having failed to fix the problem, the carrier will now replace affected phones.
It has apparently been a while since Sprint's been able to focus on simply growing out its nationwide coverage. While the company has expanded its LTE coverage piecemeal, announcing new markets every couple of months, it has also had to manage the networks powered by different technologies it acquired when purchasing Nextel (iDen) and Clearwire (WiMax). But after a decade of acquisitions and adjustment, Sprint may be ready to start turning things around, according to S4GRU, a blog dedicated entirely to Sprint's 4G LTE and WiMax expansions (it doesn't get much more niche than that).
[Deal Alert] Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX 7" 4G LTE Tablets Are 50% Off, $139 For 16GB And $159 For 64GB
Want to stuff a couple of stockings for the holidays? Here's a cool suggestion from Amazon: the Kindle Fire HDX 7" 4G LTE. This is last year's Kindle Fire generation but still the newest HDX 7" available — Amazon didn't update the HDX 7" line when it released the new HD 6, 7, and HDX 8.9" this past September. The 4G LTE models are being discounted 50% today only through Amazon Gold Box, while the regular Wi-Fi only models have kept their regular price.
Spec-wise, the HDX 7" line-up is known for its high-resolution 1920 x 1200 display and quad-core 2.2GHz processor. These two factors differentiate it from the regular HD 7 (1280 x 800 display and 1.5GHz quad-core processor). Normally, the HDX 7" is priced way higher than the HD 7, but thanks to this discount, they're in the same range. Add 4G LTE, Amazon's Mayday button, and you have a very sweet deal that's tough to beat. For example, the 16GB HDX 7" 4G LTE is down from $279 to $139 ($147 if you don't want to see Amazon's "Special Offers"), which is just a few bucks more than the 16GB Wi-Fi HD 7 at $134.Only the 16GB and 64GB versions of the HDX 7" are in the Gold Box now. At most, you're looking at $159 for the 64GB HDX 7" 4G LTE with Special Offers — the one without them was $174 but was sold out as I writing this post. This deal is valid only today or until stocks are gone, which is probably going to be very, very, very soon. Hurry up!Amazon Gold Box Kindle Fire HDX 7"
Sprint is continuing to expand the reach of its 4G LTE network, and today it has unveiled that faster data speeds are now available in seventeen new markets. Areas affected by this expansion stretch from coast to coast, though a third of them are concentrated in the Northeast. Both New York and Pennsylvania see three markets apiece join the ranks, with the large Buffalo and Pittsburgh metropolitan areas accounting for the most people. Illinois makes a strong showing for the Midwest with three areas from that state hitting the list as well.
Sprint Expands 4G LTE Network To 41 New Cities, Introduces 6 More Markets To Sprint Spark
Sprint is expanding its 4G LTE Network to 41 new cities.
Sprint is continuing to bump up consumers across the country to relatively faster speeds. Today it has announced the arrival of 41 new 4G LTE markets, including Long Island, Minneapolis, and Phoenix. This brings the total number of cities up to 443. To see if your town is one of them, give this list a skim.
Sprint's 4G LTE network continues to trudge along, slowly growing both larger and faster at the same time. Now the carrier has upgraded the data speeds available in 20 new markets across the country. Consumers benefiting from this news range from California and Arizona in the west across the US to Connecticut and New Jersey in the east. Down south, Sprint's boosting things for residents and visitors of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Verizon's LTE version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition tablet is now available online. Its existence isn't a surprise following @evleaks' previous leak of the device, but today we have an official product page to point you towards. This one. You can get the tablet for $599.99 with a two-year contract or $699.99 without.
AT&T Launches International 4G LTE Roaming In Over A Dozen Additional Countries
AT&T Launches International 4G LTE Roaming In Over A Dozen Additional Countries
AT&T is currently the only carrier to offer 4G LTE roaming in other countries, a change it rolled out back in December. At the time, only Canada was supported, followed by the UK. Now the carrier is rolling out the service in around a dozen additional countries. These range from locales as small as Hong Kong and Singapore to places as expansive as Australia and Russia.
Sprint Spark support is gradually rolling out to some of the carrier's devices, but there is something to be said for learning how to walk before learning how to run. Large swaths of the US still do not have access to Sprint's LTE network at any speed. Consider the state of Ohio, which until now has only had one city (Salem) on the complete list of supported areas, and that location only joined just last month. Now Sprint has added four more, in addition to 36 other markets, bringing the total to 340 areas nationwide.
Earlier this month, AT&T passed the 500 mark in the race to expand the number of areas across the country with access to the carrier's 4G LTE network. The effort is ongoing, though, and the company has now officially added several more locales to the list. Customers in areas ranging from the West Coast to the Atlantic Ocean should all now notice faster data speeds when browsing on the go.
Sprint Announces Six New Spark LTE Markets And Support For Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go On Spark
Sprint Announces Six New Spark LTE Markets And Support For Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go On Spark
Ever since the shutdown of Nextel, Sprint has been preparing to make use of the newly vacated spectrum for its tri-band LTE known as Spark. The carrier has announced today that Spark is launching in six more markets, bringing to total to 11. Virgin Mobile broadband customers can also get a taste of the speed starting today.
T-Mobile has quietly updated its LTE network, adding official support in 14 new cities. The new markets range from mid-sized metro areas to smaller cities as T-Mobile continues expanding its LTE footprint.
It's that time of year when consumers are shown a near overwhelming array of new electronics, and many of them will undoubtedly need to connect to a cellular network in order for the real fun to happen. So AT&T has announced 24 new areas around the continental US that should now have access to 4G LTE speeds, along with two more in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We have a pretty even spread of markets this time around, with faster connections popping up on both coasts, along with parts of the South, Midwest, and the Rockies.
Some people live in places that have had 4G LTE coverage for a long time now. Others don't. AT&T is steadily working to fill in the gaps in its network, and today it has announced the launch of 12 additional markets. This brings the total up to 488 nationwide.
Sprint has been steadily rolling out 4G LTE coverage to markets across the country, presenting new clusters every month or so. This month's list is significantly longer than usual. We're not looking at a couple dozen here, but 70. These areas are spread all throughout the country, but many of them are concentrated in the South, with new locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Following on the heels of the white 32 GB Nexus 5, the black 32 GB version is now in stock on the US Google Play Store, leaving the warehouse in 1-2 days. If you weren't able to get your hands on a black 32 GB Nexus 5 originally, now's your chance. If you're in the market for a new phone, the Nexus 5 is certainly an attractive option with its hefty hardware specs and comparatively low price. In case you need a refresher, here's what $399 buys for you: