4G

There is no stopping the 5G revolution, especially since everyone seems to be on board. From network operators to smartphone manufacturers to silicon makers, everyone seems to be hellbent on pushing the fifth generation cellular technology to businesses and consumers. With all the marketing and hype, there’s bound to be some confusion and questions. What is 5G, what is it for, and will really make our lives better? Here are some answers to those questions and more.

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Huawei has launched an LTE-connected smart speaker and router, the Huawei AI Cube, complete with Alexa built-in, but the weirdest thing about it is the shape. Making its debut at IFA 2018 today, the Alexa speaker may be called a cube, but in fact it's a stubby cylinder. Huawei does say the design may change before launch, but what shouldn't are the capabilities.

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Spotify may be preparing to launch an in-car music system, with dedicated hardware that could allow for standalone streaming direct to the dashboard. The company announced earlier today that it was planning an event in New York City on April 24, though has been tight-lipped as to what its announcement might be.

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Ford recently pledged that all its new vehicles would have 4G LTE baked in by 2019, and now it's offering existing drivers a way to get their cars connected. The FordPass SmartLink consists of a plug-in LTE dongle and Ford's companion smartphone app, and together they can bring 2010-17 vehicles up to speed with the cutting-edge in in-car tech.

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The US government is considering seizing the spectrum to build a nationwide 5G network, new leaks suggest, though Trump's own FCC chief strongly opposes the plans. 5G, or fifth-generation, networks are the next step in not only mobile broadband, promising much greater speeds than today's 4G LTE networks, but more ubiquitous connectivity in general, as more and more devices join the Internet of Things (IoT).

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T-Mobile USA appears to have dominated the latest batch of mobile data tests from the folks at OpenSignal, beating out bigger names like Verizon and AT&T in the process. How could this have happened, and at what point did T-Mobile begin delivering more reliable and speedier mobile data than their competitors? If T-Mobile's service is so good, why don't they have more customers than their competitors? Is it the advertising, maybe the phones they've got available - or is it something more subtle, like the shade of pink they're using?

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4G is dead, long live 5G! Or something to that extent. While the rest of the world is still trying to settle on the current 4G technology, the industry is already trying to push the next generation 5G forward. And while it might take years before it reaches the same reach that 4G has now, there’s really no reason not to get the ball rolling as early as possible. That’s why the standards body known as the 3GPP has just ratified a major part of the 5G standard, months earlier than it projected earlier this year.

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Not all iPhone X handsets are created equal, new research has demonstrated, and if you want the best LTE performance there are specific models you should be looking out for. While on the face of it there are only a few different configurations of Apple's smartphone, in reality there are more variations than simply color and storage capacity.

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In a world with LTE Advanced and 5G just on the horizon, you'd think we'd be beyond furiously glaring at the signal bars on our smartphones and cursing poor coverage. Sadly just because carriers may be looking to next-generation networks now, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily get a decent signal at home or in the office. Now, Verizon is rolling out its new 4G LTE Network Extender 2, aiming to fill that deadspot.

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T-Mobile has thrown the switch on 600 MHz LTE, promising a "record-shattering" roll-out of the new spectrum use as it fills in rural America's patchy connectivity. The carrier certainly can't be accused of wasting any time, having secured the 600 MHz spectrum licenses only two months ago. Usually, T-Mobile says, a customer roll-out like this would take more like two years.

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Apple's legal spat with Qualcomm might seem like background noise easily tuned out by iPhone users, but it could have a big impact on how well the iPhone 8 performs. The two companies are currently embroiled in a patent argument over cellular radio standards, with Apple threatening to withhold royalty payments that it claims are extortionate. Now, the new iPhone might end up less capable on next-generation networks as a result.

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At first glance, Microsoft has knocked the new Surface Pro out of the park. Coming hot on the heels of the Surface Laptop, the tablet-that's-a-notebook (and which mustn't be called the Surface Pro 5, oh no) could've been overshadowed by its Alcantara-clad clamshell sibling. Instead, Microsoft has gone down the wishlist of existing owners and ticked all the boxes. Well, all apart from one.

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