Verizon switches on LTE Advanced in 461 cities -- is your phone compatible?
Verizon Wireless is what I consider to be the best cellphone carrier in the USA. Yes, it is expensive comparatively, but you get what you pay for. Both coverage and speed is top notch across the country, meaning you should have a solid experience in many places where you travel.
Today, the carrier announces that its LTE is getting much faster. In 461 cities across the USA, it switches on the speedier "LTE Advanced" (LTE-A). Best of all, many existing devices are compatible. Wondering if your phone, tablet, or hotspot can take advantage? Read on for the list.
"Verizon LTE Advanced uses software that combines multiple channels to speed mobile data over the network more quickly than ever before. The result is 50 percent faster peak speeds in cities nationwide for Verizon customers using one of the 39 LTE Advanced-capable phones and tablets already on Verizon's network -- including top-selling Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7 smartphones, Moto Droids and Apple iPhones. As new devices from Apple, Samsung, LG and other manufacturers are introduced, they will be LTE Advanced-capable right out of the box", says Verizon.
The wireless carrier further says, "LTE Advanced currently uses a combination of two- and three-carrier aggregation. Customers will continue to enjoy typical download speeds of 5 - 12 Mbps, but two-channel carrier aggregation has shown peak download speeds of up to 225 Mbps, far exceeding the current speeds being experienced by wireless data networks nationwide. While the speeds of two channel carrier aggregation provide a leap forward, three-channel carrier aggregation provides even greater efficiency. Verizon engineers deploying three-channel carrier aggregation have experienced speeds greater than 300 Mbps".
Wondering if your phone, hotspot, or tablet is compatible? Please see the list below.
- Apple iPhone 6
- Apple iPhone 6 Plus
- Apple iPhone 6s
- Apple iPhone 6s Plus
- Apple iPhone SE
- Apple iPad Pro
- Apple iPad Pro 9.7
- Apple iPad Air 2
- Apple iPad Mini 4
- Asus Zenpad Z8
- Blackberry PRIV
- HTC 10
- HTC Desire 626
- HTC One M9
- LG V10
- LG G4
- LG G5
- Motorola Nexus 6
- Moto X
- Moto Z Force Droid
- Moto Z Droid
- Motorola Droid Turbo 2
- Motorola Droid Turbo
- Netgear MHS AC791L
- Novatel MiFi i6620L
- Novatel MiFi USB620L
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
- Samsung Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S7
- Samsung Galaxy View
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
- Samsung Galaxy Tab E 8.0
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Sony Xperia Z3v
- Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
I reached out to Verizon to find out how a customer can tell when they are on LTE-A. Unfortunately, it will not be displayed on your device. In other words, whether you are on regular LTE or LTE-A, the device will just display "LTE". The only way to tell if you are getting the faster speed is to run a speed test using an app or website. This is a bit disappointing, but since it carries no additional cost, I am OK with it. Hopefully it can be more apparent in the future.
Are you excited for this Verizon LTE roll-out? Check out the infographic below and tell me your thoughts in the comments.
Photo Credit: siiixth/Shutterstock