Third-generation, or 3G, it is wireless network technology that is commonly utilized in famous smart phones like iPhones and Blackberry. While its baby, second-generation (2G) technology, was formulated around for just voice applications (like talking, call-waiting and mails), 3G technology puts a strong emphasis on the Internet and the multimedia services, such as high speed web browsing, video conferencing and downloading music in a tremendous speed. And while there are so many advantages to 3G, the technology also comes with its big disadvantages too.
High Speed and High Bandwidth Usage
High bandwidth when compared to 2G – the measure of the transmission capacity – is one of the selling points of 3G. This allows you to quickly and easily access all of your favorite online multimedia and Internet tools, just like you were sitting at the front of your home computer. You can pay bills on the spot, update social networking status and check your e-mails, all on the go.
Always-Online Devices
Another advantage of the 3G technology is that it can utilize the packet-based Internet protocol connectivity of your device. This means that your mobile device will always be set to be online and will be ready for on the click Internet access. However, you will not pay for the connection until you start sending or receiving packet data, such as sending an email or looking at a web page on the peek.
Associated and High Costs
To support the 3rd generation technology, updates need to be made to the current cellular infrastructure so the 3g can be enabled on the mobile phone. According to 3G Internet, this means installing a new 3G equipment at every current cellular base station and acquiring some new frequencies for enabling 3G transmissions. 3G is very costly but worth it’s price due to it’s stability to work very fast.
Power Requirements
In addition to being more and more expensive, 3G handsets also requires so much power than most of the 2G models. According to Silicon Press(a Gadget Guide) , this extra power requirement can lead to translation to larger batteries, shortage of usage periods between recharging and more heavy handsets overall.