When we buy a new mobile phone, we rarely look at its connection possibilities. Now that 5G begins to arrive in our country, but it still has a long way to go to be 100% operational, it is important to know what type of modem integrates our mobile processor and, therefore, with which LTE category we are going to be able to to work.
LTE categories , also known as UE classes, refer to different types of 4G connectivity. Operating separately, the different categories offer different properties for the delivered LTE or, in other words, they will allow us to work with different data download and upload speeds.
The categories are necessary to guarantee that the base station can communicate correctly with the terminal of the user that receives the signal and, based on this, in Spain we can work with 12 types of LTE that star in our mobiles.
LTE speeds
The following table summarizes the different speeds by category, starting with the 100Mbps (Megabytes per second) download and 50 Mbps upload.
Nowadays few smartphones work with the first LTE categories launched on the market. With the arrival of the LTE-Advanced / CAT 6, the connectivity of the devices was improved and this should always be the first option from which to start when buying a new mobile, since it offers improved capacity and speed and, for therefore, better web browsing capabilities.
Currently the vast majority of devices have LTE Cat.7, with 300 Mbps upload and 100 Mbps upload, but numerous models compatible with LTe Cat.13 have also begun to be marketed, with higher download and upload speeds.
And the famous Cat or?
Surely on more than one occasion you have heard about Cat. 0 of LTE. This is an identifier used by Internet of Things applications, which require much lower data rates, often only in short bursts, and generally the remote IoT device must be low on power. Due to these specific needs and the growing development of IoT technology connected through cellular telephony, this new category was developed that offers download and upload speeds of 1 Mbps.
How do I know which LTE category my mobile has?
To find out if your mobile is compatible with LTE Networks, you just have to consult the notification center. The symbols “LTE”, “L” or “4G” should appear there to confirm that it is compatible. In addition, when selecting the preferred network type from the mobile settings, it will also appear if it is compatible with LTE networks:
Generally, it will be necessary to know what category of LTE your mobile presents, it is necessary to delve deeply into the instructions and characteristics of the mobile phone, but a much easier way to find out is to access the comparator of our site, select your mobile, and find this information among the connectivity data from its technical data sheet.
