As much as smartphone, mobile hotspot and connected notebook users love the blazing fast speeds afforded by 4G LTE service, it’s tough to be an early adopter when new devices carry such a premium. Verizon Wireless’ latest 4G phone, the DROID Charge, hit the market at a jaw dropping $300 on contract, for example. According to a report from DigiTimes on Thursday, devices with embedded 4G LTE radios are about to get significantly less expensive. With various chipset vendors set to begin mass production of new single-mode LTE chips later this year and Qualcomm preparing production of its multi-mode LTE chips in the first half next year, prices are expected to drop substantially in the second half of 2012. The new components are expected to decrease the cost of LTE network interface cards by 50% or more, and those savings will hopefully trickle across a variety of 4G LTE-enabled end user products quickly.
Cost of 4G LTE devices to drop significantly next year
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 7:27PM EST
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Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
