What does “LTE” mean on my phone?

It indicates that your phone is connected to your carrier’s LTE network, allowing for high speed cellular data connectivity.

If you have a brand new phone, you might wonder what the LTE or LTE+ icon is on the top of the status bar on your phone screen. We’re here to answer your query in this article.

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LTE on your phone means that your phone is connected to your carrier’s LTE network. LTE lets you easily access the internet using your cellular data connection.

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What does “LTE” mean on my phone?

“LTE” refers to Long Term Evolution, but the full form of the abbreviation does not tell us much about what it is or what it is doing.

LTE is a standard for cellular networking tech between 3G and 4G. It provides for speeds greater than 3G but does not fully reach the potential of true 4G either. LTE is often synonymously with 4G, representing a step below 4G. In the US, carriers used varied brandings to evoke the difference between LTE and true 4G. Verizon uses LTE+, and T-Mobile uses LTE-A to refer to true 4G, while AT&T awkwardly calls it 5GE.

When you see an LTE icon on your phone, it means your phone is connected to your carrier’s LTE network. You can expect download speeds of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds of up to 50Mbps when you see the LTE icon.

In comparison, if you see an LTE+, LTE-A, or 5GE icon, you can expect 10x of these speeds, going up to 1000Mbps for downloads and up to 500Mbps for uploads, though keep in mind that various other factors affect network speed, like your phone, available bandwidth, and so on. Most users only experience a fraction of these intended gains, so LTE is often synonymously used as 4G in common parlance.

4G LTE vs 5G: What’s the difference?

There’s a surprisingly big difference between 4G LTE and 5G. The difference is between the radio frequencies, bandwidth block sizes, and more on the base level. Higher up, you can see practical improvements such as faster data speeds and lower latency for 5G, compared to 4G LTE.

For example, the average data speeds for 4G LTE customers would be around 30Mbps, while the minimum for 5G customers would be upwards of 50Mbps. 4G customers would be used to experiencing latency of 50ms and higher, while 5G users can get sub-10ms latency. You can explore these differences between 4G and 5G in our 5G explainer.

Why does my 5G phone show LTE?

You might be surprised that the LTE symbol shows up even on your 5G phone when you are subscribed to a 5G plan from your carrier. There are a few reasons why this might happen.

The first and most common reason is that you may be in a region where 5G coverage is unavailable. 5G has significant gaps in the network, and your phone is falling back to 4G or LTE when it cannot connect to a reliable 5G tower.

The second reason may be that you are not subscribed to a 5G plan with your carrier. While your carrier may provide 5G as a service, they may not offer it as you did not specifically subscribe to it. You have to pay extra to avail of 5G services. We recommend double-checking with your carrier if you are subscribed to 5G.

The third reason could be that your phone has a 5G setting switched off. 5G takes up a lot of battery, and you can also chew up your data limits very quickly if you aren’t careful. Some phones switch off 5G when the battery is low and enter battery saver modes. So ensure that your phone has 5G enabled in its settings and you aren’t in any power-saving mode that restricts 5G.

How to change your preferred network type to 5G on Android

Here is how to change your preferred network type to 5G on Android phones.

On Samsung Galaxy smartphones

1. Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network mode.
2. Select 5G/LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect). This option will connect to 5G, falling back to LTE when 5G is unavailable. Other options present in the list will not attempt to connect to 5G.

Network Speeds 101: What’s the Difference Between 3G and 4G LTE?

First, the basics: The “G” stands for generation, meaning 4G is the most current generation of cell phone network coverage and speeds. 3G technology created the first networks fast enough to make smartphones practical. Before that, they were too slow to allow you do all the things that make smartphones great, like streaming videos, surfing the web and downloading music.

But it’s 4G that’s really allowed smartphone technology to spread its wings. That’s because it’s much, much faster than 3G. So when you want to download a new game or stream a TV show in HD, you can do it without buffering and lags that make the experience not worth the wait.

4G is pretty much everywhere now, but even if you happen to be in a place that only has 3G, your phone will automatically switch to 3G so you’ll experience no call problems—just slower Internet speeds.

Verizon 4G LTE explained

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It’s a term used for the particular type of 4G that delivers the fastest mobile Internet experience. You’ll usually see it called 4G LTE.

Using a 4G smartphone on Verizon’s 4G LTE network means you can download files from the Internet up to 10 times faster than with 3G. With 4G LTE, using the web from your phone is just like using it from your home computer. For 4G LTE to work, all you need is a smartphone that’s configured to work with it.

You can find all of Verizon’s 4G LTE phones here. These phones will connect automatically with the 4G LTE network where available.

You might also be interested in:

• Mobile hotspot devices and plans to help you stay connected on the go
• How to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot
• How to use a Verizon Jetpack
• How to use Wi-Fi calling and mobile hotspots
• Internet service directory
• How much internet speed do I need?
• How to get the fastest internet