Will Sprint EVO ever get LTE?

**lkillen** · #1 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 12:28 PM

What Kind of LTE Speeds Are You Getting With Your New HTC Thunderbolt? | Android Phone Fans

The Thunderbolt is out and my co-worker just got his. As far as 4G, I am jealous. These things are screaming. While reading the comments to the link above, I saw one that said Sprint was abandoning WiMax and going to LTE.

Let us say that is true. Would it be possible to switch an EVO to LTE? Can that be done through radio software or is the hardware limited?

These guys are getting WiFi speeds on their phones!!!

**gTen** · #2 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 02:14 PM

1) The answer is no...you will NEVER have LTE work on the phone...unless you connect via wifi to an LTE mifi lol

2) Their 4G does not have as many users..early reports people were showing 30mbps speeds here and there on wimax..

3) Wimax isn't really inferior to LTE, just that sprint chose to run it in only 10mhz of spectrum..wheras verizon chose 20mhz.

4) Verizon is running it on 700mhz spectrum which has way better building/wall penetration

**InvincibleLiving** · #3 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 02:52 PM

That building/wall penetration makes all the difference in my case: I live next to a busy corridor and when I'm directly on the road I get full strength 4G... unfortunately for me where I live there is a sound barrier between the road an my house. When I'm home I cant get ANY type of 4G connection going, and even my 3G seems 'weaker' since they've rolled out 4G in my neck of the woods.

But back OT... nope, no LTE ever. At least not on currently available sprint devices.

**aman1127** · #4 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 03:42 PM

I heard that the hardware for WiMAX and LTE are the same, all it really is is a software change. I hope thats true. I'll try to find the link

Found it: http://gizmodo.com/#!5167321/sprint-...-whither-wimax

**gTen** · #5 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvincibleLiving

That building/wall penetration makes all the difference in my case: I live next to a busy corridor and when I'm directly on the road I get full strength 4G... unfortunately for me where I live there is a sound barrier between the road an my house. When I'm home I cant get ANY type of 4G connection going, and even my 3G seems 'weaker' since they've rolled out 4G in my neck of the woods.

But back OT... nope, no LTE ever. At least not on currently available sprint devices.

People are eating up bandwidth from the main hub with 4g and thats slowing your 3g? lol..but either way sprint will deploy LTE in same spetrum..so you wont get more penetration with sprint...only thing it might get is more spectrum as sprint is using 10/30mhz they have..

Also forgot to mention verizon is using 20mhz for raw speed..hence why they going tiered...it wont support a lot of capacity unless they get more spectrum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aman1127

I heard that the hardware for WiMAX and LTE are the same, all it really is is a software change. I hope thats true. I'll try to find the link

Found it: Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

Yes..TD-LTE and wimax are VERY similar..but unfortunately the upgrade is going to be for the towers themselves...not the devices...aka they add a small box and that makes their Wimax->LTE...on your side..there is nothing that can be done without adding hardware...which isn't practical..

gnatsstang · #6 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 06:20 PM

fyi.as of now, wimax 4g its uncapped.thunderbolt will go through 10 gigs in 82 minutes.lets see what they think off the speed when they get their phone bills next month.i get 8 in chicago.for 10$ I'll take that.i use outer to surf the web and play black ops.let me know next month how they feel.

**InvincibleLiving** · #7 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gTen

People are eating up bandwidth from the main hub with 4g and thats slowing your 3g? lol..but either way sprint will deploy LTE in same spetrum..so you wont get more penetration with sprint...only thing it might get is more spectrum as sprint is using 10/30mhz they have..

Also forgot to mention verizon is using 20mhz for raw speed..hence why they going tiered...it wont support a lot of capacity unless they get more spectrum.

Yes..TD-LTE and wimax are VERY similar..but unfortunately the upgrade is going to be for the towers themselves...not the devices...aka they add a small box and that makes their Wimax->LTE...on your side..there is nothing that can be done without adding hardware...which isn't practical..

I could care less the tech ramifications of how and why my 3g signal is crap, or why on one side of a wall I get full 4G signal and on the OTHER side of the wall I get NONE at all... the results speak loud enough.

**gTen** · #8 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InvincibleLiving

I could care less the tech ramifications of how and why my 3g signal is crap, or why on one side of a wall I get full 4G signal and on the OTHER side of the wall I get NONE at all... the results speak loud enough.

So you didnt need to know that sprint can make it faster with a press of 1 button but is too busy trying to figure out a way to bankrupt themselves?

**InvincibleLiving** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 11:44 PM

More than anything I did'nt/don't need the sarcasm.

Evo Invincible

yankees45us · #10 (**permalink**) 03-17-2011, 11:55 PM

Yes the current towers for wimax only need software upgrade to use lte. But phones like evo that originally used wimax can never use lte as it requires an lte chip that comes built in to the phone which the evo doesn't have. Good news is that when sprint switches to lte they will leave wimax running also. So there will probably be dual lte, wimax phones that will take advantage of all that 4g coverage. Sprint has a chance to have a huge 4g footprint not to mention they are working on the newest push to talk technology. I can't wait.

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