Samsung today announced that it plans on releasing new versions of its Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini smartphones with the ability to switch between different types of high-speed LTE networks. This ability to switch between different LTE connections would help improve download speeds by allowing carriers to dynamically reallocate data traffic between networks as needed. Frequent travelers would also benefit from such devices as their travels take them to different countries.
“The alternative LTE network allows operators to use the limited number of available frequencies in a more efficient way,” said J.K. Shin, Samsung’s mobile chief. He added the increased adoption of the new technology will help meet the increasing demand for faster Internet connection through mobile devices.
Essentially, LTE comes in two flavours. According to Samsung, most LTE networks currently use FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplex) but the alternative TDD-LTE (Time Division Duplex) is expected to gain momentum as it begins to be deployed in China, the U.S. and parts of Europe.
Market research firm Strategy Analytics expects LTE device shipments to hit 270 million devices this year and grow by about 20 percent annually over the next few years. By 2017, some 680 million devices could ship with LTE connectivity. The TDD-LTE market is expected to account for up to 18 percent of the LTE market by 2015.
No further details about the dual-LTE Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 mini were provided today. Could the rumoured Snapdragon 800-powered GT-I9506 be such a device? With a launch expected as early as Q3, we may know sooner than later.
Sources : The Wall Street Journal // ZDNet