Help 3G to 4G and then no connection?

[svwilbur]

So right now the Xoom is 3G which is great as that is all that is supported currently in my area. But when Verizon/Motorola decides to let us upgrade in a month or so if I did the upgrade I think I will not be able to use the 4G as there is no network here for 4G / LTE yet.

Will the 4G be added in addition to the 3G so you can use either radio?

Or does 4G replace the 3G and you can no longer use the Xoom for a year or so until they get LTE everywhere????

If that is the case then I think they only give us 6 months to do the free upgrade. That is still not long enough as Verizon is saying 12 - 18 months for my area.

So it sounds like I can get the upgrade and not be able to get data for 6 months or so or not get the upgrade and have to pay for 4G upgrade at a later date when LTE is available in my area.


What am I missing?


Also I did not get the Xoom yet but am worried if I wait too long they will all be 4G and usless to me. I need 3G for the next year or so.

 

[tsanuri]

It will have both 3G and 4G avail. Which will be the case with all LTE phones as well for sometime. If you look at the teardown from ifixit you can see where they think the 4G radio will go. It is in step 5 for the first time and step 8 they talk about what they think it is.

Motorola Xoom Teardown - iFixit

 

[Tosa90]

It will do the same that any phone does currently. If you go out of an area with 4G coverage you will drop to a 3G network. If somehow you end up in an area without 4G or 3G coverage you will then have no data connection.