Many consumers mistakenly believe they have a 4G phone, according to new research from Retrovo, while many others believe 4G will be too expensive to interest them. These factors could delay the uptake for 4G networks currently being rolled out by Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
The Retrevo Gadgetology Report found that a third (34 percent) of iPhone owners said they already had a G4 phone, despite the fact that there are no G4 iPhones. The study hypothesizes that these owners may be confused by the name of Apple’s iPhone 4 model.
That does not explain why 24 percent of BlackBerry owners similarly believe they have a G4 device, however. In between those are Android owners – but at least some of the 29 percent claiming to own a 4G phone may be correct, since a few models are actually available for purchase, like the Samsung Infuse 4G and the HTC Evo 4G.
These numbers demonstrate how confused the public is over 4G, the latest standard for mobile, which specifies qualities including peak speeds of 100 Mbit/s while moving at high speeds (as in a vehicle or train) and 1 Gbit/s while walking or stationary.
Related Links:
International Telecommunication Union’s 4G standards: http://tinyurl.com/6en769r
Retrovo Gadgetology Report: http://tinyurl.com/63kzw6k
