4G phones
Need a 4G phone? Here’s a handy overview of phones available with 4G, sometimes also called LTE. You can also check here to see if your phone is 4G-compatible. You’ll see right away if it’s available and can easily compare prices, including plans if you’d like.
4G is a technology that lets you access high-speed mobile internet while on the go. It is already the fourth generation of mobile telecommunications standards and thus succeeds 3G. 4G is also known as Long Term Evolution, or LTE for short.
To use 4G, you not only need a 4G-compatible cell phone, but you’ll also need a corresponding subscription or prepaid plan. Furthermore, you must be within the 4G coverage area; in other words, there must be service. By now, virtually all Dutch providers offer nationwide 4G coverage, although there are still areas with reduced coverage—so-called blind spots or gray spots. At home, you’ll usually connect to your own Wi-Fi network, and no data will be transmitted via the 4G network.
4G Speed
4G has a theoretical maximum download speed of 1000 Mbit/s and an upload speed of 500 Mbit/s. These speeds won’t be achieved in practice; the average speed is closer to 50 Mbit/s. However, that’s still many times faster than 3G (also known as UMTS). You can instantly test how fast your current connection is on websites such as speedtest.net.
Bands
4G operates on so-called bands, each with its own frequency. A 4G phone does not have to support every band. Because carriers use their own bands, you’ll need to check whether your future phone is compatible with your carrier’s 4G network. Most 4G phones available here in the store will work seamlessly with the bands used here, but this isn’t the case for some imported models. For example, some Xiaomi phones don’t work on our 4G networks. We try to list the supported 4G bands in the specifications for every phone we add.
4G in the Netherlands
| Carrier | Bands |
|---|---|
| KPN | 1, 3, 7, 20, and 38 |
| Odido | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, and 38 |
| Vodafone | 1, 3, 7, 20, and 28 |
Belgium
| Provider | Bands |
|---|---|
| Base | 3 and 20 |
| Orange | 3 and 7 |
| Proximus | 3, 7, and 20 |
Frequencies
Each band operates on its own frequency. You can see exactly which ones in the table below. Sometimes manufacturers provide information about supported frequencies instead of bands. You can use the information below to determine exactly which band is meant. We have limited ourselves here to the frequencies in use in Europe.
| Band | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2100 MHz |
| 3 | 1800 MHz |
| 7 | 2600 MHz |
| 8 | 900 MHz |
| 20 | 800 MHz |
| 28 | 700 MHz |
| 31 | 450 MHz |
| 38 | 2600 MHz |
| 40 | 3500 MHz |
4G categories
Not every 4G phone is equally fast. That’s because the 4G standard has several categories. Each category has a number corresponding to its own maximum download and upload speeds. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the faster the speed. For example, LTE Cat3 has a maximum speed of 100 Mbit/s, Cat4 150 Mbit/s, Cat6 300 Mbit/s, and Cat9 450 Mbit/s. We try to list the LTE category for every new phone we add. You’ll find it under the specifications.
4G+
Technology never stands still, and work is already well underway on the successor(s) to 4G. In the meantime, providers are trying out clever tricks to further increase 4G speeds. One example is the bundling of multiple frequencies, also known as Carrier Aggregation. This technology is now commonly referred to in the market as 4G+ or “4G booster,” though the official term is LTE Advanced. The maximum 4G+ speed currently advertised by providers is 300 Mbit/s. If you want to use 4G+ or LTE Advanced, both your provider and your phone must support it. In addition, you’ll need a plan with 4G+ enabled. You can tell if your phone supports 4G+ or LTE Advanced by checking whether it supports at least LTE Cat6 or higher. If so, your phone is compatible.
