Samsung Galaxy S4 to make travel easier with dual-mode LTE
Samsung has announced new Galaxy S4 handsets that will automatically switch between different 4G networks worldwide.
Samsung plans to release new versions of its Galaxy S4 and S4 mini smartphones that can automatically switch between 4G networks across the world that use different LTE standards.
The new devices will be able to switch between networks based on the TDD (Time-Division Duplex) and FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) variants of the LTE 4G wireless technology.
Samsung says the move is designed to make it easier for travelers to use data services in different countries without disruption.
While most of the world relies on FDD-LTE, adoption of TDD-LTE is expected to grow in the U.S., China, Australia, Middle East, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Southwest Asia.
According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, the global LTE market will increase 20 percent annually on average, from 270 million devices in 2013 to 680 million devices in 2017. The TDD-LTE market is expected to take up 18 percent of the entire LTE market by 2015.
Samsung will launch the dual-mode LTE handsets in countries worldwide from the third quarter of this year.
This story originally appeared as "Samsung tweaks Galaxy S4 to make it simpler for global travellers to use 4G" on ZDNet.