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Nexus 4 has LTE?!?!

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strausd

Well-Known Member
Could this just be a typo? You can view the full size image and clearly see the model number. And iFixit links to a page about that chip. What is going on???

Nexus 4 Teardown - Page 3 - iFixit
 

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Maybe this is why battery life has been so bad lately? LTE chip accidentally left on but not really using it?
 
strausd said:
Then how do you explain the perfectly matching model numbers with a Qualcomm LTE chip?
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It could very well be that that picture isn't really a Nexus 4? I don't know and can't say for sure since I don't have one. Even if I did, I wouldn't open it up to see the board, so that's all I can say. I just know that Google has said that this current Nexus doesn't have LTE.
 
alfick3 said:
It could very well be that that picture isn't really a Nexus 4? I don't know and can't say for sure since I don't have one. Even if I did, I wouldn't open it up to see the board, so that's all I can say. I just know that Google has said that this current Nexus doesn't have LTE.
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iFixit is a very reputable website and they wouldn't post something completely false like that. A typo is possible, but showing pictures of a different phone in a nexus 4 tear down won't happen. Yes, google did say that, but google also said my phone would ship by yesterday ;)
 
strausd said:
iFixit is a very reputable website and they wouldn't post something completely false like that. A typo is possible, but showing pictures of a different phone in a nexus 4 tear down won't happen. Yes, google did say that, but google also said my phone would ship by yesterday ;)
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I just don't see the business strategy in that. Deny the phone has LTE for 2012 and then come 2013, hey guys, we lied, our phone is awesome! We just turned on LTE.. Keep dreaming.
 
strausd said:
iFixit is a very reputable website and they wouldn't post something completely false like that. A typo is possible, but showing pictures of a different phone in a nexus 4 tear down won't happen. Yes, google did say that, but google also said my phone would ship by yesterday ;)
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Ok. I don't know anything about ifixit, and don't really look at that site, so I don't know how reputable they are. I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to you either.
 
It's a pentaband transceiver that supports the AWS band 4 , but not LTE band 17 (Verizon) or band 13 (AT&T) so we can forget LTE support on the phone. The AWS band is used in the USA by T-Mobile.
 
Banished Angel said:
I just don't see the business strategy in that. Deny the phone has LTE for 2012 and then come 2013, hey guys, we lied, our phone is awesome! We just turned on LTE.. Keep dreaming.
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I will dream :D

alfick3 said:
Ok. I don't know anything about ifixit, and don't really look at that site, so I don't know how reputable they are. I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to you either.
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Oh no worries man!

I am starting to think more and more that the phone does in fact come with an LTE capable chip. But maybe LTE itself is disabled but the phone is benefit from some other features from the chip that we are not aware of?
 
OverByter said:
It's a pentaband transceiver that supports the AWS band 4 , but not LTE band 17 (Verizon) or band 13 (AT&T) so we can forget LTE support on the phone. The AWS band is used in the USA by T-Mobile.
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The WTR1605L supports more ports than did the older RTR8600; specifically, devices using these WTR1605L-containing chipsets will be capable of supporting up to three low bands (below 1 GHz), as compared to two low bands on the RTR8600, along with three high bands (above 1 GHz) and one very high band (2.5 GHz). This will provide Lower A block licensees using Band 12 with access to another 700 MHz band for roaming, including Band 13 or Band 17, as well as Band 25 (the PCS G Block), in addition to the cellular, PCS, and AWS bands for 3G operations, provided that the necessary software and the necessary additional filters, which are not made by Qualcomm, are added by device manufacturers.
To do so, device manufacturers would use a technique known as
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Again the transceiver supports 5 bands but none of them are LTE bands in this country. The only semi LTE band usable in the USA is used for T-Mobiles AWS.
 
I don't like that it has this rogue useless chip, it's kind like going to the doctor and finding out you have an extra liver that you can't use, which would be great for excessive drinking.
 
It's very mysterious. I'm eager to hear how Google explains this.

Also btw strausd: You were right and I was totally wrong. My bad dude.
 
JunBringer said:
It's very mysterious. I'm eager to hear how Google explains this.

Also btw strausd: You were right and I was totally wrong. My bad dude.
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There is really no mystery, this particular transceiver supports the frequencies that the majority of GSM carriers deploy, this eliminated the need for multiple SKU's and software images for different carriers. At this time with spectrum fragmentation there is no such thing as an unlocked LTE device, at this time it requires different hardware and software for different carrier's LTE connectivity which would necessitate carrier specific SKU'S making the device more expensive because of the loss of economies of scale. Unfortunately unlocked and LTE are mutually exclusive at this point in time.
Edit : See this, http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
 
I think I agree that it's a holdover from the Optimus G which has LTE. Perhaps similar to the fact that my Chromebook has a SIM slot but since it's not the 3G model, it's worthless.
 
You can enable to it work on the aws band by typing *#*#4636#*#* into the dialer and selecting lte in options. Pointless right now, but maybe useful on T-Mobile someday.
 
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