Navigating the World of 3G

It wasn’t too long ago that the wireless world stumbled through product names like the C168i, and tried to explain what set a T61z apart from a T637. These days, while naming conventions make a bit more sense (like differentiating between a BlackBerry Bold and a Samsung Instinct), the cell phone world hasn’t fully escaped the alpha-numerical soup. The one element that confuses industry folks and consumers alike? The omnipresent ‘G’.

So, what does the ‘G’mean, exactly?

On the surface, ‘G’ simply stands for “generation,” as in “second-gen” or “third-gen” technology – all of which boils down to how fast your phone downloads data. Currently, there are 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and 3.5G data services (while 4G lurks on the horizon) with 3.5G beating 3G, 2.5G beating 2G and so on.

Here’s a peek at how they all relate to carriers and the features available to you:

2.5G – The Basic
2.5G supports basic MMS (multimedia messaging), simple web browsing, and downloadable games, applications, and ring tones. It’s available on every carrier, and falls under technologies like GPRS or EDGE (on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile) and 1xRTT (for CDMA providers Sprint, Verizon, and Alltel). For downloads, speeds range from 30Kbps to 90Kbps, which places 2.5G data a notch above dial-up, but well below broadband.

3G – The Gold Standard
3G consists of relatively advanced features, including full-motion video, streaming music, and much faster web browsing. The associated acronyms are UMTS (for AT&T/T-Mobile), and EV-DO (Sprint/Verizon/Alltel). 3G data speeds can reach as high as 2Mbps, which approach cable modem speed.

3.5G – The Titan
3.5G is the fastest data connection currently available in cell phones, and represents a significant step up: It revels in on-demand video and videoconferencing, with data download speeds of 14.4 Mbps – essentially the same as any high-speed broadband connection on a PC . 3.5G is largely available today on the AT&T network via HSDPA technology.

4G – The Platinum Player
4G (also known as Beyond 3G), is slated to be the next complete evolution in wireless communications. 4G is proposed to provide a complete IP solution where data, voice, streaming multimedia can be delivered on a blazing-fast anytime, anywhere basis: projected data download speeds will range between 100Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s. The biggest player jumping in head first appears to be Sprint.

That’s a lot of acronyms, but we hope it helps you begin to appreciate the meaningful differences between the distinct cell phone generations. And, next time you’re looking to upgrade your cell phone, keep the ‘G’ in mind. There’s quite a lot of value to be had in making a move upward.