Mobile technologies have improved enormously; one of the main developments is the development of 4G technology. It’s a term that you’ve surely faced in your daily life, but what is 4G? And is Nokia Lumia Icon 4G enabled? We will answer these and other questions related to Nokia Lumia Icon 4G technology in the following article.
is the Nokia Lumia Icon4G-eligible phone?
Yes. Nokia Lumia Icon has all the requirements to use 4G networks.
How can I know whether Nokia Lumia Icon is able to use 4G or not?
It is essential to check whether your phone is 4G-enabled before buying it. The easiest method is to check your phone specifications in your phone box, or in the manual. If you don’t possess the package or didn’t find the manual, you can check your phone criteria on the official website of the manufacturer or any other credible website.
The second option is verifying the signal bar. If the Nokia Lumia Icon 4G data is turned on, you will see a 4G (or an LTE) icon at the top of the phone’s display. Note that the absence of that icon doesn’t necessarily mean that your phone doesn’t support 4G.
How to switch to 4G on Nokia Lumia Icon?
If you intend to turn on your Nokia Lumia Icon 4G network, then follow the instructions (it might change a bit from the settings on your own device):
1- From Home screen, tap Apps.
2- From the Apps tab, choose ALL SETTINGS.
3- Tap mobile+SIM (or cellular+SIM).
4- Make sure the Data connection is on.
5- Select Highest connection speed.
6- Choose 4G or LTE option.
Note: If you would like to switch off 4G then choose a lower network type (such as 3G).
Introduction to 4G technology on Nokia Lumia Icon
4G is the fourth generation of mobile telecommunication. It was first released in 2009 in South Korea, and it was deployed after that all around the world until it became the fastest and most used network in mobiles.
The provider of 4G network specifications is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), it has also identified 5G, and 3G specifications before that. The ITU specifies what internet speeds and what latency limits are acceptable to call a network protocol a 4G.
Many protocols passed the test and qualified as 4G, the most important are LTE, LTE+, and HSPA+.
What are the advantages of 4G on Nokia Lumia Icon?
4G has all the attributes of 3G at more speed. It allows download speeds of around 14 Mbps up to speeds as high as 150 Mbps, five times faster than 3G. And it gives more than ten times the uploading data speeds of 3G, starting from 8Mbps up to 50 Mbps.
Low latency is another feature, it ranges from 60ms to 98 ms, Although it’s only a few milliseconds lower than 3G, it is very necessary for some use cases such as video conferencing or online gaming, and other live interactions.
The emergence of VoLTE standard added another advantage to 4g network which is the ability to make phone calls and browse the internet at the same time, with even improved voice quality. All of these advantages are within your reach with Nokia Lumia Icon 4G technology.
What are 4G bands? And which bands are available in the Nokia Lumia Icon?
Before talking about 4G bands, you should know what the frequency is. Frequency is the repetition of an event, and it is measured in radio communication by hertz (Hz).
Since radio waves are utilized for different reasons besides 4G (television broadcasting and satellite communication as examples), it is essential to decide which frequencies must be used for what use. Otherwise, radio waves will contradict, and it would be a mess.
Governments and ITU designated each range of frequencies (called bands) to specific uses.
What you should consider as a user of Nokia Lumia Icon, is whether it supports the bands provided in your area by your local carrier or not. The Nokia Lumia Icon4G-supported bands are :
4, 13;.
Nokia Lumia Icon 4G Technology Frequently Asked Questions
How to know if 4G coverage is obtainable in my zone?
Before choosing your mobile provider you need to make sure it has 4G coverage in your area. The easiest way to do so is by calling them and asking. Another method is to check their official website or any trusted coverage map on the internet.
Why I’m not getting 4G although the settings are right?
If you own a phone that has 4G, and you don’t have a 4G connection, it might be that you are not on a 4G plan. Check your internet provider plans, or give them a call to enable it. If they don’t have a 4G offer, then you might want to change your cellular operator.
What is 4G LTE?
4G LTE is a term used indistinctly with 4G and LTE, which disturbs users. technically speaking, LTE is NOT 4G. LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution”, a communication technology that developed from 3G but is still not as fast as 4G. However, some companies commercialize it as 4G.
The difference between 4G and LTE became fuzzier when LTE-A (LTE – Advanced) emerged. LTE-A has almost the same speed as 4G technology.
What are GSM and CDMA? are they related to 4G LTE?
Before the emergence of 4G LTE, the most used standards were GSM (2G/3G) and CDMA (2G/3G). GSM is an abbreviation of “Global System for Mobile communication” and as its name suggests, it’s a standard that is used worldwide by most cellular carriers.
CDMA on the other hand stands for “Code-Division Multiple Access”, don’t get concerned by the name it’s just another standard. what you need to comprehend about it is that it’s not as widespread as GSM, and CDMA phones are often locked to a single provider and cannot be shifted.
When considering buying either a GSM or CDMA mobile, you have to take into account the operator coverage in your zone. Some providers support only GSM and others support only CDMA.
You should also consider whether you need roaming or not, if you travel a lot then CDMA could be a problem. Not to mention that the perfect option is a phone that is compatible with both.
4G technology didn’t support voice calls when it was first made available, so it was reliant on GSM and CDMA standards, but with the evolution of VoLTE standard it became self-reliant, so you don’t have to care so much about GSM/CDMA.
Will 4G phones stop operating?
2G and 3G networks are being shut down across the globe because 4G is everywhere and has all the preceding generations’ functionalities at better speeds. So it is a reasonable question to ask if the appearance of 5G networks will lead to the shutdown of 4G.
The answer to that is: No. Your Nokia Lumia Icon 4G technology will stay valuable for a few more years.
4G Networks will stay existing for at least 10 to 20 years, depending on the area, mobile providers, and phone manufacturers. As things were for prior generations, 4G and 5G will exist and work together, meaning phones supporting 5G will support 4G too as a fallback.
Is 4G still valuable presently?
Yes, it is. Although the high speeds of 5G, 4G is still acceptable and provides sufficient speed for most of the use cases. 4G network is broader than 5G, which means you can find it almost all over the globe. Another advantage of 4G is the low cost. Because 5G is still too pricey to be a real alternative.