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CHAPTER 5: Wi-Fi and 3G Connectivity
128
There’s an
available Wi-
Fi network.
The DROID is
connected to a
3G network.
These arrows are
black when data is
being transferred.
There are no
black bars.
The 3G signal
is weak here.
Only a 1X
signal is
available
here.
The DROID is
connected to a
Wi-Fi network.
It may only
be 1X, but
the signal is
very strong.
Notice the
relative
strength of the
Wi-Fi
connection.
Figure 5–1. Sample status bar notifications.
Using 1X is like using an old dial-up modem. It works, but it isn’t fast, and you’ll have to
spend a lot of time waiting for email to load, apps to sync, and pictures to upload.
However, 1X signals are available everywhere your phone can connect to the Verizon
network, and it doesn’t take much battery power to use 1X.
3G and 4G
CDMA was upgraded to 3G with yet another acronym, EV-DO, for Evolution-Data
Optimized. 3G networks have huge speed advantages over 1X networks, but these are
still slower than the average coffee shop Wi-Fi hotspot.
The fourth generation of wireless technology in the US, 4G, has begun a rollout in select
US cities at the time of writing. Sprint has begun its 4G rollout, and Verizon expects to
offer full 4G coverage by 2013, including all those areas that only get a 1X signal now.
Verizon purchased some of the spectrum previously used by analog television
broadcasts in order to build its next-generation network.
Verizon is using LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, which Verizon promises will
work much better in rural areas and will be more internationally compatible than the
current CDMA network. It will also give phones a large speed boost, so we can do
things such as reliably video conference from our mobile phones. LTE is a high-speed,
long distance Internet signal that can be used for home and phone networks, and it will
likely be used the same way Wi-Fi is used on smartphones today. You might think of it
as a form of Wi-Fi that can be broadcast for miles instead of several dozen feet.
The bad news is that you will not be able to connect to 4G networks on your DROID,
DROID X or DROID 2. Your phone must be specifically made to take advantage of 4G
networks. And although we expect an announcement of a 4G version of DROID soon, it
did not happen by the time this book went to press.
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