If given a choice between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and LG Nexus 4, how important is LTE while making a choice? Despite the fact that the recently introduced Nexus 4 provides an updated version of Android in comparison to the Galaxy S3, what is mainly lacking in the phone is LTE technology. Considering how LTE speeds up the working of net-enabled apps, it is a must have!
AT&T’s LTE service offers a download speed of 12Mbps and outperforms their 3G network’s performance, as pointed out by CEO Ralph de la Vega. The company intends to introduce LTE in 100 cities by the end of 2012. Keeping all of this is mind, if one is to weigh the Galaxy S3, which supports LTE, against the Nexus 4 which runs on the latest version of Jelly Bean, clearly the Galaxy S3 seems to be a wise choice, considering the fact that the Galaxy S III will receive the JB update soon anyway. You might have to compromise on having a pure Google experience in exchange for LTE technology if you choose the Galaxy S III over the Nexus 4.
For T-Mobile customers and customers of several carriers worldwide, picking LTE over updated software seems unwise as T-Mobile lacks a LTE network and doesn’t intend to deploy one until the coming year. However, since the download speed of HSPA+ on T-Mobile stand at 42Mbps, the Nexus 4 will have faster internet access than the data speeds offered by AT&T. If you are looking at storing lots of music files, pictures, videos and apps, the Galaxy S III is a better option since it comes with a micro-SD slot, offering 32GB or 16GB of internal storage which is expandable, while the Nexus 4 lacks a memory expansion slot, offering only a 16GB or 8GB internal storage space.
As for service providers, there is a wide range of choices that are available even with respect to the iPhone. At a monthly price of $110, Sprint offers the iPhone 5 with unlimited data. Verizon offers the unlocked version of the phone, allowing users to insert a SIM card acquired from another service provider when travelling, for instance. Sprint too unlocks the device, but only for those who have been subscribers for at least 90 days. Verizon’s LTE network, however, covers lot more area than Sprint’s network, giving the former an edge over the latter.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S III for a reduced price now starting at 99.99.
November 8, 2012 at 1:21 pm
I have had a Samsung phone for almost two and a half years. I was promised an excellent device with an upgrade in the future. I was lied to and there will never be an update to my phone without xda developers. I’m not saying the Galaxy S III will never be updated, I’m just saying I wouldn’t hold my breath. Therefore lte or not the Nexus 4 is the way to go. Stock Android on my Nexus 7 has been far superior to any manufacturer overlay. The lack of carrier involvement keeps all that crappy bloatware off the system and gives me the choice of companies, as long as I stay away from Verizon and Sprint. The choice for me is simple, the Galaxy S III is great phone, but coming from a person who has been burned one too many times by manufacturer and carrier controlled devices, the only real choice is the Google Nexus 4.