World of Smartphones

New mobile generations have appeared about every ten years beginning with 1G in 1981, followed by 2G in 1991, then 3G in 1998. Finally, 4G was released in 2008. The first generation (1G) was an analog technology that was voice-only. 2G introduced call and text encryption, plus data services like SMS and MMS. 3G brought faster transmission speeds so people could use their cellphones for more data-hungry services such as video calling and mobile internet. The jump to 4G all-internet protocol (IP) networks came with ultra-broad (gigabit speed) access, which enabled the joys of gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conference, and 3D TV, among other things.

The current standard, 4G, although initially released in 2008 only really took off commercially in 2010. It is worth noting that the largest spike in global smartphone sales also occurred that year, when shipments jumped 75% from 173.5 million units in 2009 to over 300 million units in 2010. We believe the two events – the switch to 4G and the spike in smartphone sales – were connected.

Newer generations of phones are now designed to be backward compatible. For example, a 4G phone can communicate through a 3G or even 2G network. But, the opposite is not true: a 3G phone cannot communicate through a 4G network. That’s because each new generation of wireless broadband typically requires cell phone providers to make upgrades on their towers, and therefore also requires you to upgrade your phone so that it can send/receive signals through the new infrastructure.