Samsung combines 4G LTE and 5G mmWave to smash ‘single device’ speed record

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In a recent test Samsung was able to combine 4G and 5G connections in a single device to deliver speeds up to 5.23Gbps.

Samsung Galaxy S20+ speed record.
(Image credit: Samsung.)

In April 2020, Samsung used two test mobile devices to achieve speeds of up to 4.3Gbps, reaching an industry peak speed of 8.5Gbps across both devices. In order to achieve such an impressive 5G speed, two key technologies were used: carrier aggregation and MU-MIMO.

And in November 2020, Nokia, Elisa and Qualcomm Technologies achieved the world’s fastest 5G speeds on a commercial network in Finland, delivering speed up to 8Gbps. The record was reached by serving two Qualcomm 5G mmWave devices, connected simultaneously to Elisa’s network, which is powered by Nokia 5G equipment.

However, this is the first time that speeds over more than 5Gbps have been achieved on one of its commercially available 5G phones: the Samsung Galaxy S20+.

Using the Samsung Galaxy S20+

In this latest demonstration, carried out in Samsung’s lab in Korea, the company combined 40MHz of 4G frequency and 800MHz of 5G frequency in mmWave, achieving 5.23Gbps in data speeds to a single device. 

“Through this demonstration, Samsung is proud to achieve another breakthrough record in 5G data speeds."

Ji-Yun Seol, Samsung.

“Through this demonstration, Samsung is proud to achieve another breakthrough record in 5G data speeds, now spotlighting the power of using a dual 4G and 5G approach, delivered directly to a single user,” said Ji-Yun Seol, vice president of the  networks business at Samsung. “This reinforces our commitment to delivering the best possible 5G solutions to our customers and our ongoing support to help mobile operators accelerate the benefits of 5G services to their users.”

To beat the record, Samsung used its commercial end-to-end solution, including the Samsung Galaxy S20+ smartphone, 4G radios, 5G radios, and 4G/5G common Core. And the demo used EN-DC technology, which enables mobile operators to combine 4G and 5G, and deliver enhanced speeds, coverage and reliability.

“Mobile operators need to make the most of their finite spectrum assets in order to ensure user experiences that deliver the full value of 5G,” said Ed Gubbins, Principal Analyst at GlobalData. “This achievement showcases Samsung’s distinguishing ability to leverage an end-to-end portfolio and broad expertise that spans core, RAN and devices to help operators maximize the return on their 5G investments.”

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.