4 g on new phone.

[antighsiothail1]

My wife and I both have PAYG phones. Hers is a very basic Alcatel, hers show 4g connection. I have just bought a new phone a Samsung Galaxy A15. Mine doesn't show any option for 4g. Connections-mobile networks, shows LTE/3g/2g (auto connect), 3g/2g (auto connect), 3g only, 2g only. no 4g option at all. Any ideas where it might be? Got a new sim to fit this phone old phone didn't support 4g.

[azumirm212]

Did you buy the phone from a reputable dealer? Those shady used phone shops sometimes sell foreign models. In which case you won't get a 4g signal. I've been ripped off with a fake Samsung charger that damaged my battery from one of those places. Now I always buy from a phone provider retail store or large electronics chain store.

[antighsiothail1]

Hi

Bought it direct from Samsung UK.

[bristolian]

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@antighsiothail1 wrote:

Connections-mobile networks, shows LTE/3g/2g (auto connect), 3g/2g (auto connect), 3g only, 2g only. no 4g option at all

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LTE is 4G.

The reference by another poster to foreign models would only be relevant when the source country's networks use different 4G bands to the UK.

[azumirm212]

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a halfway point between 3rd generation and 4th generation. It is categorically not the same as 4th generation. LTE-A (advanced) is not the same but can achieve the same potential speed as 4G but not 4G+ due to carrier aggregation allowing multiple bands to be used at the same time. 

[bristolian]

You're correct that LTE is not strictly 4G. But in layman's terms, given the original question posed, the LTE menu options refer to 4G.

Any carrier aggregation is invisible to most end users and only those with some RAN understanding would need to know.

[EssexBoyEE]

As @bristolian points out LTE and 4G are from a Phone User point of view the same thing, as is 4G+ and LTE A pretty much the same, LTE as you correctly say Long Term Evolution started with 4G (4th Generation) it is intended to be a Protocol that can be improved with time without having to jump to another Generation Level when improvements were devised and put into use.

In theory, early 5G is still LTE, the improvements over time that are really important to LTE is the LTE Catogary, known as CAT (Number), which starts at CAT0 up to its present Evolution, this is a more prescice Technical Description as to both the User Device and Base Station caperbilities in terms of Speed, Carrier Agregation and Number of Bonded Bands, MiMo caperbilities and QAM Specifications.

For a more detailed technical discription of each CAT can be viewed on the 3GPP Website. 

[antighsiothail1]

Thank you for all your help, explaining what LTE etc is. Although that still doesn't answer why a 4g enabled phone doesn't show 4g. Yesterday my daughter, son-in-law and grandson came round, all of their phones had the 4g icon, as does my wife's. I'm now wondering if it's because my wife's EE account is a lot newer than mine. I just found a text from the middle of last year which said I wouldn't be able to use data after November last year. I have had the PAYG account for a good few years now. I may get a second sim from another provider and see if that shows 4g. I might check if my wife's sim will fit my phone and vice versa, to see if that changes things.

[Leanne_T]

Hi @antighsiothail1 

Thanks for coming back to us 🙂

I would suggest giving us a call on 150 and the team can check the account to see what is needed to get this sorted for you. 

Leanne.

[antighsiothail1]

As an update, swapped sims with my wife's and no difference so somehow, I think, it must be the phone. Going to contact Samsung.