[waterfrontmgmt]

are there any rumors about when rim will have a 4G phone? i am amazed that BB doesn't have a 4G phone out yet. droid has left rim in the dust on this and it sucks. i miss my bold so much, but 4G is a game changer.

and all the 4G vzn droid users got grandfathered in with the unlimted 4G mobile hotspot for $30 a month. it's almost twice as fast as my home network....and it's unlimited. i use it for my laptop, my i pod touch and my tablet. not to mention the 4g phone itself, streaming radio stations from around the world in my car.

so i am stuck with the charge until BB comes out with a 4G phone with a mobile hotspot. the only thing worse than not having a BB, is not having 4G (if you live in a 4G area).

[_StephenBB81]

4G BB will Probably be end of 2012, early 2013, due to when expected production of single chip solutions for LTE and HSPA are available

[waterfrontmgmt]

thats just plain lame on rim's part. i know there have been other issues. i still have 2 bolds laying around and i can deal with resets and lagging, blah blah blah.... but to be so far behind hi speed technology is mind boggling.

i never thought i would leave BB....until i tried a 4G phone and mobile hotspot.

4G BB will Probably be end of 2012, early 2013, due to when expected production of single chip solutions for LTE and HSPA are available

[_StephenBB81]

thats just plain lame on rim's part. i know there have been other issues. i still have 2 bolds laying around and i can deal with resets and lagging, blah blah blah.... but to be so far behind hi speed technology is mind boggling.

i never thought i would leave BB....until i tried a 4G phone and mobile hotspot.

4G isn't ready for prime time yet

Requires extra hardware and a much larger battery which means it becomes a bigger device, RIM historically doesn't make the BIG slab touch screens, which means 4G is a long ways off before they put it on a candybar qwerty format

[BoldtotheMax]

I have tried 4G (really 3.5 on Tmobile) and it was fast, but not a drastic difference and this was on a Samsung Gravity S, which has a better processor and overall better specs than my 9700 that was on 3G.

Around here, it won't matter much to me. Not to mention it was hysterical watching his battery drain watching a pre-loaded movie in Inception. Watched 15 minutes of it and I swear he lost half his battery life from full....

Thanks but no thanks, well until they figure a way to improve their battery life on 4G....

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Alberta Blue]

... and its only available in a few markets. What are people doing on their phones that HSPA+ isn't fast enough?

[waterfrontmgmt]

huh? tell that to new york, LA, san fran, denver, atlanta, nashville, orlando, miami, tampa, boston, detroit, dallas , houston...or any of the 80 plus major markets it's already in. and before rim ever comes out with a 4G phone, it will already be almost everywhere in the US.

and most of the 4G phones i have seen are about the same size as the bold 9000 or the new bold touch. and the battery is actually much thinner and lighter than the BB battery's. i carry an extra battery in my pocket for the charge...i would never do that with a BB battery.

4G is here and it's in most major cities already. vzn is adding 10 to 15 markets every few weeks. and people were jumping from rim like flies last week to get unlimted 4G grandfathered in. the droid boards are full on new android users like me that came for 4G.

but i believe you are right that rim is a long way off before they release a 4G phone...and they totally missed the boat. i once was a fanboy, now i am just disgusted. vzn still wins, but rim loses.

4G isn't ready for prime time yet

Requires extra hardware and a much larger battery which means it becomes a bigger device, RIM historically doesn't make the BIG slab touch screens, which means 4G is a long ways off before they put it on a candybar qwerty format

[Alberta Blue]

lol ... there is more to planet earth than the USA - and yes, we have cell phones out here too

And you didn't answer my question about why HSPA+ isn't fast enough .... I know some people just have to have the newest, shiniest, fastest [insert random gizmo here], but what would a normal person do that requires LTE speed?

[waterfrontmgmt]

vzn is in just about every major market. t mobile's network does not compare to vzn.... big difference in speed.

the biggest difference is streaming and tethering. HUGE difference over 3G. for example, with the charge, i have unlimited music via rhapsody. it is not limited by the size of the card on my phone because i don't need music to be downloaded to my phone. i can stream it with 4G direct from the rhapsody app.

and my laptop is twice as fast as any hotel network using the mobile hotspot...or my home network for that matter. the mobile 4G hotspot is the bomb. i also use it to tether to my ipod touch, my tablet, etc.

i just hope BB has one sooner than later. i will certainly be getting the first 4G BB. i have had BB's for the past 6 years and really miss them.

... and its only available in a few markets. What are people doing on their phones that HSPA+ isn't fast enough?

[_StephenBB81]

huh? tell that to new york, LA, san fran, denver, atlanta, nashville, orlando, miami, tampa, boston, detroit, dallas , houston...or any of the 80 plus major markets it's already in. and before rim ever comes out with a 4G phone, it will already be almost everywhere in the US.

and most of the 4G phones i have seen are about the same size as the bold 9000 or the new bold touch. and the battery is actually much thinner and lighter than the BB battery's. i carry an extra battery in my pocket for the charge...i would never do that with a BB battery.

4G is here and it's in most major cities already. vzn is adding 10 to 15 markets every few weeks. and people were jumping from rim like flies last week to get unlimted 4G grandfathered in. the droid boards are full on new android users like me that came for 4G.

but i believe you are right that rim is a long way off before they release a 4G phone...and they totally missed the boat. i once was a fanboy, now i am just disgusted. vzn still wins, but rim loses.

PLEASE what phones are you seeing the same size as the current blackberry line up with 4G


Bold 9000 133g
Bold 9780 122g
Torch 9800 161g
Bold 9900 130g
Storm 9520 160g

Only 2 LTE devices I know of off the top of my head.
LG Revolution 172g
HTC ThunderBolt 4G 164g

so The lighter of the 2 is heavier than the heaviest Blackberry

Now beyond just that, Blackberry's are made for a Global Market, in the grand scheme of things, the LTE market is less than 10% of mobile phone users, so why invest their development into a tiny market like that.

That said India, is looking at LTE deployment in 2012, as are many places in the EU, so nearing the end of 2012 when more efficient chips, and smaller chips are available we'll see them in Blackberry phones.

I encourage you if you MUST have 4G LTE that you buy one of the aforementioned devices

[waterfrontmgmt]

those are bricks...not phones. there have been several new 4G phones out in the past few months on both vzn and sprint that are MUCH lighter. i have the droid. my guess is it weighs less than the 9000...

and the newer 4G phones coming out this summer are even smaller and lighter.

and ya know what? i don't live in india or any other parts of the world. all that matters to me are my options as a customer is the US. and i still say in the US RIM missed the boat. plus all the vzn users will have to pay much higher rates for the hotspot than those on 4G phones prior to last weeks new plans.

PLEASE what phones are you seeing the same size as the current blackberry line up with 4G

Only 2 LTE devices I know of off the top of my head.
LG Revolution 172g
HTC ThunderBolt 4G 164g

[_StephenBB81]

Well RIM is NOT US, so RIM isn't ONLY concerned with the US.

As for the phones smaller, because the phone says "4G" does not mean it is LTE compliant, and thus not 4G LTE which is what matters

[redk]

Last i checked the bold 9900 was HSPA+ compatible which in my area I see a constant 6mbps down. To me that is fast enough for most things I want to do with my phone or laptop for that matter. My girlfriend has a 3mbps at her home and we browse the internet, watch youtube, netflix, hulu, espn3, hgbo go, and listen to internet radio without a problem on our laptops. I suppose the only bummer of the 9900 is if T-Mobile decides to block mobile hotspot. Then im stuck with just bluetooth or usb tethering. Back to the point is if you can get 3-6mbps on your bold 9900 it should be plenty for everything besides HD streaming.

[maevinj]

Well RIM is NOT US, so RIM isn't ONLY concerned with the US.

As for the phones smaller, because the phone says "4G" does not mean it is LTE compliant, and thus not 4G LTE which is what matters

I believe on Verizon, if it says 4G, it's LTE as they only have LTE and 3G

[belfastdispatcher]

Everybody compares LTE to 3G but they forget HSPA and HSPA+ exists and it's not that much slower then LTE, and none are real "4G" anyway, just marketing talk.

The next BB generation will be HSPA+ compatible.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[qbnkelt]

PLEASE what phones are you seeing the same size as the current blackberry line up with 4G


Bold 9000 133g
Bold 9780 122g
Torch 9800 161g
Bold 9900 130g
Storm 9520 160g

Only 2 LTE devices I know of off the top of my head.
LG Revolution 172g
HTC ThunderBolt 4G 164g

so The lighter of the 2 is heavier than the heaviest Blackberry

Now beyond just that, Blackberry's are made for a Global Market, in the grand scheme of things, the LTE market is less than 10% of mobile phone users, so why invest their development into a tiny market like that.

That said India, is looking at LTE deployment in 2012, as are many places in the EU, so nearing the end of 2012 when more efficient chips, and smaller chips are available we'll see them in Blackberry phones.

I encourage you if you MUST have 4G LTE that you buy one of the aforementioned devices

C'mon, dR...you're using cold hard facts again.....how dare you?

OP, RIM is not pursuing 4G at this time. The are focused on QNX. With the *unavailability* of 4G in all markets I consider it a wiser move to concentrate on updating their OS and in redesigning the current devices to include also hardware.

The battery drains caused by a device constantly looking for 4G in areas where it's not available is something I'd rather not deal with.

Choose another device that will make you happy.

[southlander]

thats just plain lame on rim's part. i know there have been other issues. i still have 2 bolds laying around and i can deal with resets and lagging, blah blah blah.... but to be so far behind hi speed technology is mind boggling.

i never thought i would leave BB....until i tried a 4G phone and mobile hotspot.

4G phones in general have terrible battery life. It's one of those things that seems cool when you are in the phone store. Turns out later.. Not so cool unless you have your phone on a charger a lot during the day or carry spare batteries. That's why you saw the first 4G phone on VZW marketed with one of those huge extended batteries.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[howarmat]

lmao, there are 3 LTE phones and that is it right now. The other is the LG revolution and its 171 grams. OP needs to get his facts straight.

Sprint is NOT LTE its wimax and not near as fast right now

[waterfrontmgmt]

With verizon, 3G is not fast enough to stream audio without constant buffering....or video. I did it for years. and I am glad that you are happy with 6mbps. I get 14 to 22 down and 4 to 6 up.

That makes a HUGE difference in media and it doesn't matter which country to live in...the future of music/media is the cell phone. 4G is the future.

Plus all the current BB users that chose not to jump ship to grandfather in a 4G unlimited mobile hotspot will get burned when they do switch over to 4G. And by the end of 2013, pretty much all vzn's phones will be 4G.

And you really can't watch HBO Go or Netflix, or any of the things you mentioned on 4G unless you have unlimted access or very deep pockets. 4G uses much for space than 3G. But it will zip through HD video without any problem.

I still love my Blackberries....but it's amusing to watch you all try to defend 3G, when 4G opens up so many more doors and is taking over the country in the US. If you think RIM is smart by staying out of the 4G business, go right ahead. RIM has shown that it is trying to go after the common cell phone users with all the new "entry" level devices. They are losing customers left and right to android.

You can also follow the benjamins. When is the last time you saw vzn do a BB commercial for a phone? All of the commercials are about speed now. Speed is the future of the cell industry. Does anyone NOT believe that?

Last i checked the bold 9900 was HSPA+ compatible which in my area I see a constant 6mbps down. To me that is fast enough for most things I want to do with my phone or laptop for that matter. My girlfriend has a 3mbps at her home and we browse the internet, watch youtube, netflix, hulu, espn3, hgbo go, and listen to internet radio without a problem on our laptops. I suppose the only bummer of the 9900 is if T-Mobile decides to block mobile hotspot. Then im stuck with just bluetooth or usb tethering. Back to the point is if you can get 3-6mbps on your bold 9900 it should be plenty for everything besides HD streaming.

[Mr Bigs]

C'mon, dR...you're using cold hard facts again.....how dare you?

OP, RIM is not pursuing 4G at this time. The are focused on QNX. With the *unavailability* of 4G in all markets I consider it a wiser move to concentrate on updating their OS and in redesigning the current devices to include also hardware.

The battery drains caused by a device constantly looking for 4G in areas where it's not available is something I'd rather not deal with.

Choose another device that will make you happy.

Cold Hard Facts ? BB's don't even truly run at 3G speeds so 4g is a helluva stretch.

[belfastdispatcher]

With verizon, 3G is not fast enough to stream audio without constant buffering....or video. I did it for years. and I am glad that you are happy with 6mbps. I get 14 to 22 down and 4 to 6 up.

That makes a HUGE difference in media and it doesn't matter which country to live in...the future of music/media is the cell phone. 4G is the future.

Plus all the current BB users that chose not to jump ship to grandfather in a 4G unlimited mobile hotspot will get burned when they do switch over to 4G. And by the end of 2013, pretty much all vzn's phones will be 4G.

And you really can't watch HBO Go or Netflix, or any of the things you mentioned on 4G unless you have unlimted access or very deep pockets. 4G uses much for space than 3G. But it will zip through HD video without any problem.

I still love my Blackberries....but it's amusing to watch you all try to defend 3G, when 4G opens up so many more doors and is taking over the country in the US. If you think RIM is smart by staying out of the 4G business, go right ahead. RIM has shown that it is trying to go after the common cell phone users with all the new "entry" level devices. They are losing customers left and right to android.

You can also follow the benjamins. When is the last time you saw vzn do a BB commercial for a phone? All of the commercials are about speed now. Speed is the future of the cell industry. Does anyone NOT believe that?

3G yes but you're forgetting HSPA+ which can also reach 14 or more, OS7 will have hspa+

Also 3G came in different speeds too, all depended on your carrier, some limit the speed to get a wider coverage(3 Mobile UK), some put the speed up to 7 but have less coverage (vodafone UK)

[1812dave]

4G isn't ready for prime time yet

t

[shakes head]
wow! You usually make sense. This time, your brain ran off it's rails. Not ready for prime time?? LOL! Maybe not in Waterloo, but we US cell phone users are chomping at the bit for 4G phones. ie, RIM needs to make 4G phones happen NOW, just as the other mfgrs are doing just that.

[West Coast Flavor]

Anybody downing 4g is a hater. Notice the period at the end of my first sentence.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[darkmanx2g]

There is no 4g blackberry because Mike L cannot fathom why would anybody want that fast network speed going on the internet on a smartphone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[_StephenBB81]

[shakes head]
wow! You usually make sense. This time, your brain ran off it's rails. Not ready for prime time?? LOL! Maybe not in Waterloo, but we US cell phone users are chomping at the bit for 4G phones. ie, RIM needs to make 4G phones happen NOW, just as the other mfgrs are doing just that.

Read the Entire post

4G devices require far too much to make it worth RIM's investment dollars to incorporate 4G into a device for the US market.

there are as many as 12 Bands for LTE World Wide, RIM clearly can't build a device to support all bands do you suggest they build 1 device for the USA, in which they hold appox 20% market share so Verizon has appox 13 million customers, 20% of 13Million is 2.6million potential, of that approximately 50% would be covered under LTE, so now we have 1.6million potential sales if EVERYONE in the Blackberry demographic were to purchase an LTE phone from Verizon.

yaaaa that makes a crap load of sense for a company to develop and OS, AND develop hardware to sell sub 2million phones...

When the top 2 or 3 LTE markets emerge I am sure both Apple and RIM will be jumping to make Triband LTE headsets to work with the top 3, but to cater to JUST verizon for the foreseeable future would be a negative ROI.