New versions of Samsung Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini will be launched by the Samsung Electronics Co., making them able to switch between two different types of high-speed LTE networks; making data downloads faster for users. However, with most waiting to get on the LTE bandwagon, doubtfully, the dual-network function would be widely used in a little while.
Samsung mentioned in a statement, “The majority of global networks that use Long Term Evolution technology use the Frequency Division Duplex or FDD-LTE variant. The alternative technology, called TDD-LTE or Time Division Duplex LTE, is expected to gain traction in China, the U.S. and some parts of Europe, the South Korean Smartphone maker said.”
Having devices that can switch between both types of LTE connections would allow mobile operators create a faster network environment by redirecting data traffic from one LTE network to another. Samsung has already introduced Galaxy S4 phones that can run on LTE-Advanced networks, however, this is just for South Korea.
“The alternative LTE network allows operators to use the limited number of available frequencies in a more efficient way,” said J.K. Shin, Samsung’s mobile chief in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “The increased adoption of the new technology will help meet the increasing demand for faster Internet connection through mobile devices.”
Samsung has been endowing in even faster technologies, in a bid to keep a spirited edge in the Smartphone race. Samsung claims in May that it has made a burst through in the development of mobile technology for 5th generation networks, which are projected to succeed the current LTE networks. Still, prospective commercialization of 5G networks are still years away. Any guess on them in comparison to existing 3G and 4G technologies wouldn’t be more than a guessing work, analysts claim.
C.W. Chung, an analyst with Nomura said in the Wall Street Journal, “The new function seems to be targeted mainly for China,” where the alternative LTE network service is expected to take off the fastest.
HIS, a research firm, supposes LTE subscriptions worldwide to escalate from 92.3 million last year to 198.1 million this year. That compares with an estimated 900 million Smartphone shipments for this year worldwide, according to analysts.
