Five Canadian cellular carriers offer LTE networks, with potential data download speeds of up to 75 Mbps under ideal conditions.
However, for subscribers to take advantage of those speeds they need a $550+ (without subsidy) smart phone – BlackBerry’s Z10/Q10, Apple’s iPhone 5, the HTC One, Nokia’s Lumia 920, Sony’s Xperia T, LG’s Optimus G or Samsung Electronic’s Galaxy S III.
Until now the Ace line has offered recent versions of the Android operating systems but with smaller screens than the premier Galaxy S line and only HSPA network speeds of up to 21 Mbps under ideal conditions.
For example, Rogers Communications’ Fido brand carries the $225 Galaxy Ace IIx, which has a 4-in. screen, a 1 GHz processor and Android 4.0.
The Galaxy Ace 3 – which will come in 3G (HSPA+) and LTE versions – keeps the 4-in. screen but will run Android 4.2. It will run on several frequencies including the 1800 and 2600 MHz bands available in Canada.
Carriers with LTE networks include Rogers, BCE Inc.’s Bell Mobility, Telus, Manitoba Telecom and SaskTel.