Im a newb.
What is the difference between GSM/LGE/4G/3G? (if they are even comparable) I was going through the comments trying to understand what exactly "unlocking a phone for GSM" actually means but ts still unclear to me.
GSMGSM (Global system for mobile communications) is the standard by which the vast majority of mobile handsets work in Europe and is becoming dominant in other parts of the world.The majority of GSM networks use 900MHz and 1800MHz but in the US the 850MHz and 1900Mhz are prominent.
Most GSM phones are primarily used for voice but can be used for mobile internet access via the GPRS Core Network.
GPRSGPRS is a system used to transmit data at speeds of up to 60 kbits per second.
GPRS is a tried and tested system and is therefore very reliable for standard mobile data use.
EDGEEDGE (Exchanged Data rates for GSM Evolution) is a recent development based on the GPRS system and has been classified as a '3G' standard due to the fact that it can run at up to 473.6 kbits per second.
3G3G was initially marketed as a way to make video calls on the mobile network but is also a highly efficient way for data transfer (internet)
HSDPAHSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) is a technology based on the 3G network which can support speeds of up to 7.2 Mbits per second.
HSPA (Plus)
This is an evolution of the HSPA (HSDPA & HSUPA) standard and allows for faster speeds. The maximum download speed allowed by the standard is 168 Mbit/s although in reality networks that support HSPA (plus) will offer 21 Mbit/s download.
LTELong Term Evolution or LTE is the first step towards true 4G technologies. LTE offers maximum download speeds of 299.6 Mb/s , but tests have shown speeds of 8-50 Mb/s
True 4G4G technologies (LTE-Advanced, Mobile Wimax) are capable of reaching the recommended speeds for 4G - download speeds of 100 Mb/s and 1Gb/s.
Now my question is why would one want to unlock their phone for GSM? Are all smartphones locked?