Connectivity Icon for 950XL - 4G vs LTE

[poit57]

I don't have a 950 or 950 XL, but it sounds like your status indicators changed to what appears on my international 640 XL. I am using the phone on AT&T in the US, and I was confused at first about the difference between these indicators on the AT&T branded phones compared to the factory unlocked phone.

With my previous AT&T branded phones, the indicators were as follows
Edge = E
HSPA = 3G
HSPA+ = 4G
LTE = LTE

With my current unbranded phone, the indicators appear as:
Edge = E
HSPA = H
HSPA+ = H+
LTE = 4G

As you can see, it is the 4G indicator that confuses matters, but I have verified that I get LTE data when my phone shows the 4G indicator.

 

[StephenWagner7]

I don't have a 950 or 950 XL, but it sounds like your status indicators changed to what appears on my international 640 XL. I am using the phone on AT&T in the US, and I was confused at first about the difference between these indicators on the AT&T branded phones compared to the factory unlocked phone.

With my previous AT&T branded phones, the indicators were as follows
Edge = E
HSPA = 3G
HSPA+ = 4G
LTE = LTE

With my current unbranded phone, the indicators appear as:
Edge = E
HSPA = H
HSPA+ = H+
LTE = 4G

As you can see, it is the 4G indicator that confuses matters, but I have verified that I get LTE data when my phone shows the 4G indicator.

I think you're bang on!

I noticed inside of the Microsoft field test app, that the languages for the Rogers SIM are: en, and en... Whereas the languages for the WIND SIM are en, and fr... I'm wondering if the language flags caused the phone to change it's icons thinking it's being used worldwide versus US (even though I'm in Canada, I bet the carrier systems localization are set for the US).

 

[Cosmyc]

I don't have a 950 or 950 XL, but it sounds like your status indicators changed to what appears on my international 640 XL. I am using the phone on AT&T in the US, and I was confused at first about the difference between these indicators on the AT&T branded phones compared to the factory unlocked phone.

With my previous AT&T branded phones, the indicators were as follows
Edge = E
HSPA = 3G
HSPA+ = 4G
LTE = LTE

With my current unbranded phone, the indicators appear as:
Edge = E
HSPA = H
HSPA+ = H+
LTE = 4G

As you can see, it is the 4G indicator that confuses matters, but I have verified that I get LTE data when my phone shows the 4G indicator.

That's what I said earlier but I didn't know in the US they use different indicators, US as always being different than the rest of the world in terms of terminology and signals.

Also I don't like HSPA+ in US is considered 4G, technically speaking that's incorrect.

 

[StephenWagner7]

Just an update...

I recently had to do a hard reset (for other reasons). I removed the second SIM and performed the hard reset. I am now getting the LTE indicator again...

Put the 2nd SIM back in. Let's see if this happens again eventually. (Just as a confirmation)

 

[Joe920]

Ancient thread, but just for those interested: I was one of the people befuddled that my phone refused to show 'LTE', only displaying '4G'. Yesterday in the process of troubleshooting tethering on 950XL I got a new GoPhone SIM from from the rep. Turns out with this new SIM the phone instantly showed 'LTE' as the indicator again.

So at least in my case, whatever it was, it seems to have been linked to the particular SIM or the way the SIM had been registered on my account (if that makes any sense whatsoever). Nothing to do with the phone or the network itself.

Latest speedtest app results: 35.4 Mbps down, 7.4 Mbps UP. Better than the 20Mbps down that I got while on '4G'.

 

[Fenoy]

I too use a 950XL with ATT GoPhone and most of the time I'm connected to WiFi and when connected to WiFi my 950XL simply shows the number of bars of OTA reception I'm getting without any letters of any sort. However if I disconnect the WiFi the phone immediately indicates LTE. Reconnect to WiFi and I'm back to bars only without any alpha numeric labels. This has been the case since day one when the ATT store provided me with an ATT Sim.

 

[Joe920]

I too use a 950XL with ATT GoPhone and most of the time I'm connected to WiFi and when connected to WiFi my 950XL simply shows the number of bars of OTA reception I'm getting without any letters of any sort. However if I disconnect the WiFi the phone immediately indicates LTE. Reconnect to WiFi and I'm back to bars only without any alpha numeric labels. This has been the case since day one when the ATT store provided me with an ATT Sim.

Yeah, that's normal. The problem here was that some phones would never show LTE. For me it turns out to have been linked to my SIM. New SIM, same provider, same account, and suddenly LTE is working again. Wish I'd found this out a year earlier!!

Sent from mTalk, a great Tapatalk alternative

 

[ajj3085]

I don't have a 950 or 950 XL, but it sounds like your status indicators changed to what appears on my international 640 XL. I am using the phone on AT&T in the US, and I was confused at first about the difference between these indicators on the AT&T branded phones compared to the factory unlocked phone.

With my previous AT&T branded phones, the indicators were as follows
Edge = E
HSPA = 3G
HSPA+ = 4G
LTE = LTE

With my current unbranded phone, the indicators appear as:
Edge = E
HSPA = H
HSPA+ = H+
LTE = 4G

As you can see, it is the 4G indicator that confuses matters, but I have verified that I get LTE data when my phone shows the 4G indicator.

I'm in the US, with AT&T & unbranded 950xl, and it says LTE. Near my gym (a dead zone), if I do get a signal it does switch to 4G, so I think 4G and LTE are different, at least in the US.

 

[poit57]

I no longer have the unlocked 640 XL, but I am carrying an unlocked 950 now (still on AT&T). I can confirm that the LTE indicator now shows "LTE" instead of 4G as I noted with my previous phone.

One variable could be the country variant. My 640 XL was actually a Hong Kong variant. My 950 is a US model. Or it could be that the icons in Windows 10 were just updated since last February when this thread was active.

 

[Robot DeviL]

I have a 950XL dual sim with an AT&T in the SIM 1 slot. On a trip to London, I bought a EE sim and put it in the SIM 2 slot and turned of the AT& When I got back to the US, I switched the EE sim off and the AT&T sim back on. The AT&T sim only reported 4G. I tried the AT&T sim in my wife's iphone and it showed LTE. I put it back into the 950XL without the EE, with the same result - 4g. Finally, I put the AT&T sim in the SIM 2 slot and it showed LTE.

Next I put the EE sim in SIM 1. The AT&T sim now shows 4G. Taking the EE sim out of SIM 1 and putting the AT&T in SIM 1 gets it to show LTE again.

If you are showing 4g, try moving it to the other SIM slot and make sure there isn't another SIM in it. FYI, the EE SIM connects to T-Mobile in the US.

 

[Joe920]

If you are showing 4g, try moving it to the other SIM slot and make sure there isn't another SIM in it. FYI, the EE SIM connects to T-Mobile in the US.

I might give this a shot, because after briefly enjoying LTE on my 950XL (see a few posts up) after today's restore from backup I'm back to showing 4G.

 

[WP7Nettwerk]

4G = LTE | Long Term Evolution Don't be silly telling people wrong things.

 

[WP7Nettwerk]

There isn't difference. Only how much your operator can offer speed of internet and place where you are. 4G or LTE does it show, nothing strange and different.

 

[vEEP pEEP]

My Lumia 930 is an HK model - it shows 4G. I was told NA versions showed LTE, there was no 4G.
Rogers does have LTE in my area, but I always see 4G (700 band)

 

[poit57]

There isn't difference. Only how much your operator can offer speed of internet and place where you are. 4G or LTE does it show, nothing strange and different.

I don't know if it is still true, but for quite a while, AT&T marketed HSPA+ as "4G" before many of their phones were LTE capable. So, depending on carrier's marketing terms, 4G and LTE might be different.

 

[Fenoy]

My Lumia 930 is an HK model - it shows 4G. I was told NA versions showed LTE, there was no 4G.
Rogers does have LTE in my area, but I always see 4G (700 band)

I have a US version of the an unlocked 950XL on AT&T and 95% of the time it shows LTE. However if I go into town it will switch to 4G. I have no idea as to what band that might be operating on. I was under the impression that 4G and LTE are basically one and the same although I haven't a clue as to why the differentiation in symbols.

 

[WP7Nettwerk]

HSPA+ never been as true 4G. That is absolutly wrong. HSPA+ is upgrade existing 3G. Well right will be to tell 3.5G or Pre-4G.

 

[poit57]

From 2010:

The International Telecommunications Union has expanded its definition of 4G service to include WiMax, LTE and HSPA+. See article HERE.

I wasn't aware of any official definition of the term "4G" at the time, but I did work for an AT&T retail store back then. I know for a fact that many HSPA+ phones were marketed as 4G and had a 4G indicator icon well before AT&T had rolled out an LTE network.

 

[PJL99]

In AT&T's network I dial ##3282# to launch the field test. This provides interesting information on what the phone is actually doing.

 

[Fenoy]

Good discussion on 4G vs. LTE 4G vs LTE - key differences explained