You just brought Samsung’s S4 series phone. And now you want to activate LTE network commonly referred as 4G network as it just came into your area. So, the first question that comes in mind is does Samsung galaxy S4 support 4G LTE? and if yes then how to activate 4G LTE?
The Samsung Galaxy S4’s ability to connect to LTE networks, also known as fourth-generation networks or 4G networks, is one of its most interesting features. One can activate LTE connection if they have the device and the data plan to support it, but it takes a little bit of a workaround. Here is a brief guide on how to activate 4G LTE on a Galaxy S4 in case you weren’t sure how to do it.

1. What is LTE?
Long-Term Evolution (LTE) was defined as a new cellular access network with high spectral efficiency, high peak data rates, short round trip time, and frequency and bandwidth flexibility when it was first introduced in 2008. On December 5, 2010, Verizon launched its 4G LTE network.
At the time of its launch, it was the world’s first large-scale 4G LTE network, covering 38 major metropolitan areas and more than one-third of all Americans. It denotes a changing level of performance as cellular hardware, software, and network technology capabilities — such as speed, latency, battery usage, and cost efficiency — are optimized and improved over time. LTE, as one industry observer put it, “isn’t so much a technology as it is the path taken to achieve 4G speeds.”
LTE means that those purchasing and deploying LTE technology today can deploy a diverse range of devices in an LTE network with confidence that their deployment will be viable for many years to come. This is especially important as older 2G and 3G networks are phased out to allow for more efficient use of spectrum. When comparing LTE to 3G, those with device deployments based on pre-4G networks must migrate to 4G or 5G as soon as possible. If you already have 4G, you’re protected for the rest of your product’s useful life.
There are many carriers with LTE networks in place, but you should always check to see if the service map covers your area and that your SIM card has LTE capabilities. Be aware that LTE networks enable lightning-fast internet browsing and have the capacity to upload and download data at ludicrously high speeds (326 Mbps for download and 86 Mbps for uploading).
- Press the menu key
- Navigate to Settings
- Tap More Networks
- Switch to network mode
- Choose the desired Network. Select LTE/CDMA for 4G/LTE
- Select CDMA if you want 3G
- The new settings will be applied, and the device will restart after you tap OK
Based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA standards, long-term evolution (LTE) is a wireless broadband communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals in the telecommunications industry. It increases the capacity and speed over those standards by using a different radio interface and core network upgrades. For carriers with both CDMA2000 networks and GSM/UMTS, LTE is the path to upgrade. Only multi-band phones can use LTE in all of the supported countries because LTE frequencies and bands vary by country.
1.1 Benefits of LTE
LTE technology has provided numerous benefits around the world:
- LTE connectivity is almost universally available for both consumer and commercial/industrial applications.
- LTE ensures long-term network continuity as older networks like 2G and 3G phase out.
- 4G LTE, 4G LTE Advanced, and 4G LTE Advanced Pro technology will support migration needs from 2G/3G for years to come in regions where 5G will not be available for some time.
- LTE provides faster speeds as well as significant benefits for low-power applications and simpler, lower-cost devices, resulting in a single technology foundation for a wide range of use cases.
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1.2 Here are a Few Key Facts About How LTE Works at a High Level
- LTE provides lower latency and higher throughput throughout the network, significantly outperforming 3G network performance.
- LTE operates on a different spectrum than 3G networks and necessitates new hardware.
- LTE offers fast data download speeds of several hundredths of a megabit per second (Mbps), compared to several tenths of an Mbps for 3G, implying that LTE is 5-10 times faster than 3G.
- On smartphones and tablets, LTE can support data, voice (VoLTE), instant messaging, and video through a single interface. With 3G, this was accomplished via separate systems, and on some networks, voice and data were mutually exclusive.
2. About Samsung Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a fourth-generation Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. It was first shown publicly on March 14, 2013, at Samsung Mobile Unpacked in New York City. It is the successor to the Galaxy S III, which was released in 2012 with a similar design but upgraded hardware, more sensors, and a greater emphasis on software features that take advantage of its hardware capabilities—such as the ability to detect when a finger is hovered over the screen and expanded eye tracking functionality. The first smartphone to support the emerging LTE Advanced mobile network standard was a hardware variant of the S4 (model number GT-i9506).
2.1 Most Interesting Features of Samsung Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone was released in April 2013. The phone has a 5.00-inch touchscreen display with a 1080×1920 pixel resolution, a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (ppi), and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is powered by an octa-core and quad core processor with four 1.6GHz cores and four 1.2GHz cores.
The battery on the Galaxy S4 has a capacity of 2,600mAh and runs Android 4.2, which is higher than that of other top smartphones, and it performed well in our preliminary tests, lasting a full day regardless of how demanding we were. This is arguably better than the HTC One’s battery, which is only capable to last until bedtime.
In terms of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13-megapixel camera on the back with an f/2.2 aperture and a pixel size of 1.14 microns for good photos. Autofocus is available for the rear camera setup. It has a front-facing 2-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture for selfies.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2 and comes with 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded with a microSD card (up to 64GB). The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a single-SIM (GSM) smartphone that takes a Micro-SIM card. The Samsung Galaxy S4 weighs 130.00 grams and measures 136.60 x 69.80 x 7.90mm (height x width x thickness). It was initially available in the colors Black Mist and White Frost.
GPS, Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL), Bluetooth v4.00, NFC, Infrared, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Micro-USB, Wi-Fi Direct, 3G, and 4G are among the connectivity options on the Samsung Galaxy S4. The phone’s sensor accessories include an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, a barometer, and a compass/ magnetometer.
3. Does Samsung Galaxy S4 Support 4G LTE?
The International, octa core, GT-i9500 does not even have LTE hardware, whereas the International, quad core, GT-i9505 does. The S4 devices with 4G are S4 I9505, I9506, I9505, I9515, and I9505G.
To use 4G on our network, the customer has to make sure that he/she has the most recent software version for his/her phone. The customer should also ensure that he has 4G coverage in his area.
Examine and update your Android version
In the Settings app, you can find your device’s Android version number, security update level, and Google Play system level. Whenever there is a need to update your device then, you will be notified. You can also check for new updates.
Check to see what Android version you have.
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Tap About phone, then Android version, near the bottom.
- Find your “Android version,” “Android security update,” and “Build number” in the settings menu.
- Get the most recent Android updates available to you.
- If you receive a notification, open it and select the update action.
- If you have cleared your notifications or your device has been turned off.
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Click on the System and then on the System update in the bottom.
- Your update status will be displayed. Follow any instructions on the screen.
4. How to Enable or Disable 4G LTE
You should also ensure that your phone has 4G enabled. If you decide you don’t want to use 4G right now, you can disable it on your phone.
To enable or disable 4G on your phone, follow these steps:
- Tap Apps on the home screen.
- Select Settings.
- More networks should be selected.
- Select Mobile networks
- Select Network mode.
- If you want to use 4G, you must have LTE/WCDMA/GSM enabled. If you only want to connect to the 3G network, ensure that WCDMA/GSM is turned on.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
5.1 What is the difference between LTE, 4G, and 3G?
This refers to the evolution of network technology. The third-generation network, also known as 3G, is the group’s oldest technology. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and refers to the fourth generation of data networks. The main distinction between them is the network speed.
5.2 When compared to 4G, how fast is LTE?
Verizon 4G LTE wireless broadband is much faster than 3G, with upload speeds ranging from 2 to 5 Mbps and download speeds ranging from 5 to 12 Mbps (Megabits per second), with maximum download speeds approaching 50 Mbps. Cable speeds vary between 4 to 12 Mbps.
5.3 Is LTE synonymous with 4G?
LTE, also known as 4G LTE, is a 4G technology. It is significantly faster than 3G, but slower than 4G, which had data rates measured in kilobits per second rather than megabits per second at first.
5.4 Why isn’t my 4G LTE connection working?
To begin, toggle Airplane mode on and off. From the Quick Settings panel on most Android phones, you can toggle the airplane mode on and off. If not, go to Settings Mobile Networks and select Airplane mode. Switch to Airplane mode for at least 30 seconds. To reconnect to your network, turn it off again.
6. Conclusion
In 2013 announcement of launching the Galaxy S4 mobile was made by Samsung. It was the first ever device with option to connect to 4G LTE. Note that above given method is widely applicable on Verizon and Sprint. If other than these two networks are available in your region, then device will automatically connect to the network.
So, enable LTE on your mobile and enjoy watching your favorite videos or downloading image at high speed.
Last Updated on December 6, 2022 by AnoushkaRoy