Samsung Galaxy S4 to go dual mode 4G
Samsung has announced the ‘world’s first dual mode 4G LTE phones’ – capable of working the two types of 4G technology; TDD-LTE (Time Division) and FDD-LTE (Frequency Division). It is the first player to provide dual-mode smartphones.
Samsung is currently testing the dual band TDD/FDD-LTE Galaxy S4 and mini on the Optus network.
Optus announced the lesser used 4G technology, Time Division (TDD-LTE) earlier this year, favoured mainly by Chinese telcos.
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The TDD-LTE service is currently available in just Canberra but will be rolled out across Australian metro areas over the next year.
Samsung dual-mode 4G Galaxy S4 will be available from Optus in September, with S4 mini to be announced shortly, it confirmed today.
An Optus spokesperson could not confirm if the dual band S4 will be pricier than existing 4G models, when contacted by CN. It is also not clear how great demand for the telco’s TD LTE service is.
Optus 4G TD-LTE network runs on 2300 MHZ, promises faster speeds (tests hits 61Mbps) and is good for Internet TV streaming or other web services heavy on downloads.
Optus believes this new 4G offering will give it the competitive edge, although rival Telstra’s 4G network will soon cover 66% of the population. Just this week, Vodafone announced the fastest 4G tablet in Australia, so the 4G battle is firmly in play.
Samsung says TDD-LTE technology will “enable a true global LTE roaming solution” and says demand is expected to increase in countries including Australia, US, China.
It says availability of dual band phones will allow ultra-fast mobile data communications, seamless data communication without delays or interruptions during network handover. The world’s biggest phone maker will launch TDD-LTE devices in other markets throughout third quarter.
Optus’ says development of new mobile sites, as well as upgrades will consist of combined TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE technologies, so customers with dual mode 4G devices in more places.
“We are proud to be the first telecommunications carrier in the world to support Samsung’s devices with seamless TDD/FDD-LTE handover technology on our network, giving quicker access to leading technology for those who choose Optus,” Mr Ganeson said.
JK Shin, co-CEO and president of the IT & Mobile division of Samsung Electronics, said “the first commercially available TDD/FDD seamless handover devices will allow customers to fully enjoy the benefits of fast mobile data communications no matter where they are.”
Strategy Analytics forecasts the global LTE market will increase 20% annually, on average, from 270 million devices in 2013 to 680m by 2017.
TDD-LTE market is expected to take up 18% of the LTE market by 2015.
