LTE--Does it really speed up basic browsing that much/

[gwlaw99]

I was in a Verizon store last weekend and played with the Thunderbolt and Charge for an hour. It didn't seem that web pages THAT much faster. Is this because ping delay is just as important in loading a website? I am sure that LTE is great for downloading large files or streaming video, but it did not seem THAT much faster just loading the average web page.

 

[Yeahha]

The phone taking half a second less to load a webpage is about it. You notice the difference when downloading a decent size file. On my previous phone it would take 10 to 15 minutes to download an hour long podcast with the thunderbolt it takes 1 to 2 minutes

 

[TxGoat]

I actually notice Youtube videos loading faster, and I actually notice download speeds not that much faster. Who knows, maybe I'm being throttled. I've noticed that if my file is big, then the download isn't that spectacularly fast.

 

[Yeahha]

I actually notice Youtube videos loading faster, and I actually notice download speeds not that much faster. Who knows, maybe I'm being throttled. I've noticed that if my file is big, then the download isn't that spectacularly fast.

Run a speed test to check if you are throttled. Also download speed can be hindered by the site you are downloading from

 

[slimjoe]

The difference I've felt between browsing on 3G vs 4G is that on the 4G connection, it's a more seamless experience akin to a decent broadband connection on a computer. With 3G, it's not terrible but you have to wait just that tiny bit longer for a response due to the increased latency and then additional time for pages to load.

 

[AustinTech]

I find Verizon's 3G very slow when compared to their LTE. The pages I go to load much faster on LTE. The u-tube videos start playing in 1 second - on 3G they take about 5 seconds to start playing and buffer in the middle. Downloading app updates, music, apps, pictures, hell, downloading anything is amazingly fast.

So yes, I think LTE makes browsing faster. It makes downloading MUCH faster.

 

[karmamule]

On pages designed for mobile access you'll barely notice a difference, and for graphics-light / text-heavy pages you'll also not see much of a difference.

BUT, on graphics/flash rich sites (for example a lot of the gaming sites I like to visit) there will be a significant difference in the experience. And, as others have mentioned, streaming video is definitely better.

As someone who likes subscription music services I also find it an important difference. A couple of the apps I use (Mog & Rhapsody) both bump up to higher bitrates if you're using 4G vs 3G. Granted that's not "browsing" related, but my point here is that there may be some apps that behave differently on 4G, and you should take that into account too if you happen to use any of them.

 

[brinky]

Verizon's 3G speed is awful for me, less then 1MB down. So LTE makes a big difference for me. Then again it also sucks the battery dry so I have it turned off most most of the time.

 

[82nd Airborne]

I was in a Verizon store last weekend and played with the Thunderbolt and Charge for an hour. It didn't seem that web pages THAT much faster. Is this because ping delay is just as important in loading a website? I am sure that LTE is great for downloading large files or streaming video, but it did not seem THAT much faster just loading the average web page.

As previously said, you won't notice to much of a difference in loading most web pages. Some more intensive sites like Engadget will be very noticeable (9 seconds vs 22 seconds for me). I realize that you're asking about loading web pages specifically, but the place that I most notice the difference is when downloading attachments from my work emails. Some of the attachments are quite large and I find that with LTE enabled I get files in about 10 seconds versus about 3-4 minutes. That is a very big deal for me.

As a side note, getting/using emails from my work's enterprise server is better with this device/OS than it was on my BlackBerry 9700. I'm so glad I made the switch!

 

[Outlaw.99]

My 3g seems pretty fast after my run with WM phones... Im nowhere near the 4g area to test the other though...

 

[mattbirk]

Yes, it is noticeably different than 3g. YouTube NEVER buffers, can easily skip around videos. Loads full sites quickly, not just mobile sites. I couldn't go back to 3g. ever.

 

[whytecountry]

It's definitely noticeable, but how much of your life are you REALLY saving by cutting a 4 second load time down to 2.5? Is it convenient? Yes. Is it really necessary for basica web browsing? Not to me it isn't. Not worth the battery sacrifice. But like some others said, if you're downloading a larger file, or watching videos, it's a HUGE difference.

 

[TxGoat]

Run a speed test to check if you are throttled. Also download speed can be hindered by the site you are downloading from

Speedtest is in the 10-15 range, but when I try downloading files, it's rather slow 1-2 Mbps. I've tried from different sources but it's always kind of lagging. For some reason Youtube videos are always a quick download. It may be the source I'm downloading from, but for some reason I get a lot of sites that are slower than a senior citizen in the fast lane in a Yugo.

 

[Yeahha]

Speedtest is in the 10-15 range, but when I try downloading files, it's rather slow 1-2 Mbps. I've tried from different sources but it's always kind of lagging. For some reason Youtube videos are always a quick download. It may be the source I'm downloading from, but for some reason I get a lot of sites that are slower than a senior citizen in the fast lane in a Yugo.

My speed test is almost always between 20 & 30. Even when downloading from sites that have limited download speed I know I'm getting the most I can and am not being limited by my bandwidth. Amazon limits the max download speed for the app store now.

 

[milan03]

Huge speed improvement when browsing and especially streaming videos. My phone never buffers, and never uses WiFi antenna.

 

[Bramsy]

i'll add to this. websites that are mobile friendly don't load that much faster for me. full websites do, but since mobile optimization has surfaced there arent a ton of websites waiting to be fully loaded.

and you guys, you are forgetting that there is not youtube play, pause, play...... we LTE guys have NO buffer AND (what u guys forgot to mention) we are playing in HD!!!!

1 area i noticed was the biggest speed boost was simply the market. i press install and >whammy<, its on the "installing" process. also, try updating multiple apps. seamless and high speed!

GOOOOOOOOOOO TBOLT!

 

[Yeahha]

Yeah, when updating or downloading large apps it is crazy fast. I updated a 20 MB app yesterday, I set the phone down to get a drink and when I came back, less than 30 seconds, the app was done installing.

 

[ska.t73]

Yeah, when updating or downloading large apps it is crazy fast. I updated a 20 MB app yesterday, I set the phone down to get a drink and when I came back, less than 30 seconds, the app was done installing.

^^^This

You will notice the speeds a lot more when downloading things. There are so many variables involved when dealing with web pages that they really aren't that good of a way to measure network speed on a phone right now. Especialy since you can get 3rd party browsers that will blow away the stock browser loading wise.

I will say though that (and yes I'm showing my nerdiness here) us.battle.net loads a lot faster on this phone then it did on my OG Droid. That site (Blizzard for those that aren't nerds) is almost all flash and on the TB it will load in seconds.