The UK saw its first, belated, 4G network appear for use late last year thanks to EE, which managed to wangle approval from regulator Ofcom to launch an LTE service before the other main providers.
But soon, the likes of Three, Vodafone and O2 will also be ready to let us connect to new, high-speed 4G networks of their own, or, to put it another way, your mobile may soon give you quicker uploads, downloads and ping responses than your home broadband thanks to these new mobile networks.
The downside is that you're probably going to need a new phone to use this super-super-fast data connection, as many older mobiles don't have the necessary radios inside them to hook into the frequencies used by 4G systems.
Luckily for you, though, the mobile networks are falling over themselves to stock new 4G-ready phones and updated versions of popular current models, with some of the best handsets from the top makers supporting our new LTE bands.
And we've done the hard work for you, so sit back, relax and check out the best 4G phones compared.
Samsung Galaxy S4
This year's Galaxy S series update was not without controversy. Its launch event was a bizarre music hall experience that some said was rather sexist, the phone's full of so much bloatware and additional Samsung software it's been complained about on TV, but none of these whinges have stopped the Galaxy S4 shipping in record numbers and making it the most popular Android phone around today.
The only model sold in the UK comes with a 4G-friendly radio inside it, so once you've got it, you've got the 4G power -- if your SIM and network allows it.
Huawei Ascend P1 LTE
The massive Android budget phone scene hasn't yet embraced LTE, so unless you're prepared to pay big money there's not a huge amount of choice when it comes to 4G models as yet.
One of the most affordable 4G-ready Android models is the Huawei Ascend P1 LTE, an updated version of 2012's excellent Ascend P1. It features a 4.3-inch display running at 960 x 540 resolution, backed by an 8MP camera and 1.3MP front-facing chat cam.
It's an impressive performer, with Huawei only slightly meddling with Google's code. Only available on EE, from £31 a month.
iPhone 5
If you want the amazingly popular iPhone 5 with the coveted 4G logo on it right now, the only way to get it is go to EE.
Due to the frequencies used by EE to provide its 4G network in the UK, the version of the phone it's selling won't work on the forthcoming LTE services from Vodafone and the rest, so if you buy it through EE you'd better be prepared to stick with the network for the duration of your contract.
As for the phone itself, the iPhone 5 isn't an enormous update over the previous models, but Apple doesn't need to change things to appeal to its eager fans. It's still the mobile phenomenon it always has been.
BlackBerry Z10
If you want something a little more avant garde, BlackBerry's new Z10 is also an early member of the UK's 4G phone club.
The first phone to run the company's new BB10 mobile OS, the Z10's software is a little quirky in places, but the powerful, feature-packed web browser and 4G connectivity makes it a decent contender for those after something fast and a little different.
Plus, with a relatively modest 4.2-inch display, it's one of the more pocketable modern smartphones and less of a slab than other big name models. Don't ignore it just because it's BlackBerry.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE
If you want the biggest AND fastest phone around, Samsung's high-end phone/tablet hybrid is the way to go. EE's offering the Samsung Galaxy Note II LTE on a range of contracts, while Vodafone's also selling the 4G-ready device on monthly contracts right now, which you'll be able to upgrade to an LTE speed connection later this year when Vodafone finally launches its 4G service.
The phone's a stunner, combining a 5.5-inch HD display with a quad-core processor running at 1.5GHz. And the S Pen stylus. And loads of Samsung software tools to play with. It's a portable activity centre for tech enthusiasts.
HTC One
This is HTC's best phone yet, and that's saying something. The HTC One is 4G-ready from the offset, so can be bought on any of the networks -- although only EE will let you use a 4G connection right now.
The HTC One earned rave reviews for its metallic chassis, superb low-light camera performance and the general smoothness of HTC's updated user interface, with the new HTC Sense social features also going down a storm. This phone and a 4G data connection would make most people very, very jealous indeed.
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE
Samsung's 2012 flagship model has also been refreshed to feature 4G capabilities in the UK, with network EE offering last year's top-spec Android models on a range of 4G contracts -- starting at a very decent £36 a month.
For that you get a phone that's still extremely competitive, offering a quad-core processor, 4.8-inch 1280 x 720 display and a very capable 8MP camera, with the LTE version able to hit the theoretical 3G maximum download speed of 42Mbps and maxing out at a hard-to-comprehend (and unlikely to actually hit in the real world) 100Mbps on a clear 4G link.
Sony Xperia Z
Sony's current highest-end Android model is the Xperia Z, which stuffs a lovely 5-inch display into a slim chassis, into which it's also somehow managed to include a quad-core chipset, 2GB of RAM and a 13MP camera.
It's one of the most impressive Android models around today, and is also ready for your next-gen mobile data connection thanks to featuring the required miniature internal coat hanger needed to pick up an LTE radio signal.
It operates on all known 4G bands, so you'll be free to switch providers and juggle SIMs at will once all the networks have their 4G service up and running.
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia's latest Windows Phone 8 model has been doing some good work in convincing people to give Microsoft's mobile OS a fair go, with its nicely sized 4.5-inch 760 x 1280 display a good option for those not yet ready to accept something up nearer the 5-inch range.
The Lumia 920 also features dual cameras (8.7MP and 1.3MP), a whopping great 32GB of onboard storage space for your photos and media, plus support for all of the key UK 4G bands is in for future-proofed connectivity.
It's been beaten now by the Nokia Lumia 925 - so we'll be updating this list as and when we get to compare the two.
BlackBerry Q10
If you want traditional QWERTY BlackBerry hardware to accompany your futuristic 4G data speeds, there's only one choice -- the new Q10.
The phone looks like your usual old BB with its chunky keyboard and landscape display above, but comes with the updated BB10 OS for adding a bit more style to proceedings.
The phone also includes NFC support, for transferring mobile data rather more slowly over distances of a couple of centimetres, should that ever really become a thing people want to do.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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