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Does anyone know if the Droid will be 4G compatible

I was aware of Verizon's 4g network being rolled out when I bought my DX. My thought process was, by the time they get the network to my area, I'll be able to upgrade...I don't see the benefits to returning this great phone to get a different phone that supports 4g, when 4g won't be everywhere till 2013 anyway...(is that right...I heard 2013, maybe 2012...)
 
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There is no phone available now that will take advantage of the LTE network when it launches. We will see the new phones for LTE at the CES this year, according to Verizon's statement a couple days ago, which is Jan 6-9, 2011. I will be getting mine soon after one launches as Verizon has already finished their LTE network in Seattle and it is one of the initial cities when Verizon "turns it on"
 
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I do wonder if they will bother coming out with an X with the unpgraded radio installed...
No way they would spend money revamping a phone that gonna be outdated by the time LTE it setup and running. Keep in mind we are talking about a year down the road. What kind of devices will be out then? How about a phone with a 1.5 GHz processor. Why would you still want an X?
 
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the salesperson at the store told me that the dx would be able to get a software fix to upgrade to 4g. i told her she was wrong. hardware based for sure.

Most salesmen at Verizon are clueless and will never admit when they are wrong. Just get all your information and ask all your questions here, not salesmen. They just want their commission.
 
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No way they would spend money revamping a phone that gonna be outdated by the time LTE it setup and running. Keep in mind we are talking about a year down the road. What kind of devices will be out then? How about a phone with a 1.5 GHz processor. Why would you still want an X?

Actually, I forget which chip maker, will be coming out with dual core chips after the first of the year.
 
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I haven't heard yet, but if Verizon goes the same way as Sprint has, they'll slap a $10 dollar surcharge on your phone bill simply for having 4g capabilities, regardless of whether or not you're even in a 4g area. A good friend of mine has the EVO on Sprint and pays the $10 monthy charge for it being 4g capable. And we don't have 4g in our area.

So before I pick up a 4g capable phone first off I want to know if Verizon is going to charge for this as well. And if so, then I'll make damn well sure that 4g is up and running reliably in my area before I purchase a 4g device.
 
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Actually, I forget which chip maker, will be coming out with dual core chips after the first of the year.

Its the same TI chip base as far as I know. Dual core 1ghz would be great maybe. Hell I don't think I tax the single core much.

Some places don't have 3G yet.....

Not here but some places I go...........

True,

Meanwhile question: How is a radio mod necessary unless LTE changes the freq spectrum. My understanding was that it requires a new decoding system that is optimized and they turned up the bandwidth throttles needing more process over head on the cell towers themselves.

Hardware not so much, new software/firmware yes. and mostly on the tower side of things. Hence why all the towers need updating.
 
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the service will be rolling out by the end of the year, but it will be for mobile broadband ie aircards and usb modems only.
Finally someone said it. Forget about it this year. And forget the Droid X ever having 4G capability (perhaps the DX2 or something may). It would have to have both a CDMA and LTE radio, along with a microSIM slot, something that the DX doesn't have.

Phone handsets will be announced in January, but not available until a while after that, probably March at best.
 
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Its the same TI chip base as far as I know. Dual core 1ghz would be great maybe. Hell I don't think I tax the single core much.



True,

Meanwhile question: How is a radio mod necessary unless LTE changes the freq spectrum. My understanding was that it requires a new decoding system that is optimized and they turned up the bandwidth throttles needing more process over head on the cell towers themselves.

Hardware not so much, new software/firmware yes. and mostly on the tower side of things. Hence why all the towers need updating.

It most definitely will NOT be compatible. VZW's current network is CDMA based and the DX has a CDMA radio in it. LTE is an evolution of the GSM standard and is completely incompatible with CDMA. Plus VZW's LTE network will actually be operating on a different frequency, as support for that fact, I reference you to the "radio spectrum" auction of a few years ago. VZW had the winning bid for the 700 Mhz band and that is where they are building out their LTE network. So for the OP's question: VZW's LTE network will be in a frequency band that the DX can't tune and will use a 4G technology that is incompatible with CDMA. No 4G for us Xers.....:cool:

As posted earlier in the thread, VZW has already stated that the first 4G devices will be PC data cards. The first phones aren't supposed to hit the network until Q1 of 2011. Also the initial markets will go live with LTE by the end of this year, but the network build out won't be complete until 2H 2012 or 1H 2013. Works perfect for me, I bought my DX on launch day and my area won't get LTE until 2012. Just in time for my next upgrade :D
 
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So they finally decided to fully ditch the CDMA backbone and GSM is the new standard.

This isn't how Sprint does their network is it? I mean if I wanted to stay with GSM then I would have stayed with AT&T. I wasn't keeping up with this as I probably won't see it for 2-5 years anyway. but none the less.


I've read that Verizon's 1st 4G phones will use CDMA for voice (and maybe 3G) and LTE for 4G. Eventually VZ plans to run voice and data off LTE. Just speculation on my part for this, but I doubt they will ditch CDMA even when then have voice and data on LTE. There are too many legacy CDMA phones out there for them to kill off CDMA anytime soon.
 
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