These Windows Phones take advantage of Verizon XLTE

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So, you're wondering if your Verizon device works with that shiny new XLTE network that just went live in your area? Well, here's a list of Windows Phone devices that can currently take advantage of the added speed from AWS spectrum. Of course as new phones and tablets come out, we can expect that they'll support Verizon's XLTE network.

  • Samsung Ativ SE
  • Nokia Lumia Icon

You can get the full list of XLTE-enabled Verizon phones over here in their online store (opens in new tab). Were you in one of the XLTE launch areas? Also a Verizon customer? Let us know if you're seeing an appreciable difference in data speeds. Are you stuck with a device that doesn't support XLTE? The rest of y'all, would you be willing to switch to Verizon to get in on XLTE?

Simon Sage
Simon Sage
142 Comments
  • Hahah two of them
  • How many windows phones do you think have come out in the last year on Verizon? Here's a hint: You just said it.
  • I think the 928 came out almost exactly a year ago. So it would be 3, but apparently it doesn't have it. I've already upgraded to the icon though so no biggie.
     
  • 928 on 5/16/2013, so you are correct.
  • Not to be a stickler, but I did say in the last year knowing that the 928 released over a calendar year ago.
  • I'm just saying he was right because he put the almost in there. You are right, too, of course.
  • Right now I got an update in my Lumia 1320 WP 8.1
    I don't know what is the new things please help me
  • http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8-1-preview-developers/274840-preview-8-1-change-list.html Take it to the forums... This isn't the place.
  • It is battery improvements & small bug fixes,it came out 4-5 days before
  • The Lumia 928 should be getting a firmware update aaaaaaany day now that will enable XLTE. I doubt the 822 is new enough to get any XLTE Love. 
  • I'm laughing because for some reason I was expecting a longer list.
  • so what the icon is the current flagship so it only makes sense
  • My 928!!!!!! Noooooooo
  • -928
  • -928 as well.
  • -920
  • -Trophy. 
  • Eww
  • This is funny.  My 7 year old son uses my old Trophy in the car to play games on long trips.  It is still more solid than my sister's galaxy S?
  • -720
  • -822
  • -hd2
  • Fyi: I have the Icon getting 17.40 MB down and 4.42 MB up. In the Dallas area.
  • We call that in Europe 3g...well okay..mbit
  • I was not impress with the speed either. :)
  • Lol!!!
  • I get 30 Mbps down / 10 up on Orange - indoors with 3 bars on a 925
  • I get 40-60 Mbps where I live West Coast US.
  • I'm pretty sure that's just regular 3G everywhere. LTE you should be getting 30 at least.
  • Is it possible that LTE devices will see speeds boost up with some of the traffic now being diverted to XLTE devices?
  • Ya talking about 17 and 30 mpbs while I'm just here with 521 on MetroPCS getting like 5 or 7mpbs and then when I get over limit (it's 2.5gb) I get LESS THEN DAMN mbps. I QQ (cry) everytime... Then again I pay $45.
  • Be thankful you're not on Sprint. Unless you live in one of the handful of Sprint Spark Network areas your MetroPCS speeds look downright blazing fast.
  • But I can get those speeds, even higher, on AT&T right now... Maybe Verizon's XLTE has caught up to AT&T's LTE speeds.. I'm serious, and not trying to be funny, or anything... We'll just have to wait for someone real data comparisons.... BTW, I'm in Arlington, TX... DFW.
  • Depends on how many in your area are on it.
  • How many in my area❔Lol❕❕ DFW is one of the largest markets in the US!!!!!!! There's literally millions on both networks using LTE.
  • The fact remains, it depends on how many people are using it in your area. The more people you put on it, the slower it gets. By all means, continue laughing at science and math.
  • But, I'm sure there's more people on regular LTE than Verizons new XLTE... That's for ATT, and Verizon customers... After all, not every Verizon LTE device works with the new technology... More people on AT&T's LTE, than people on Verizon's XLTE... So, if ATT customers are seeing similar data speeds to Verizon's XLTE........
    It's science, and math, but geezzz it's not rocket science to understand the concept...
  • Two things regarding those speeds. When Verizon had an LTE footprint the size of AT&Ts, LTE speeds were way up there normally. They have since tapered off to be more in line with what was initially quoted.
    Secondly, just ran a test on an LG G2 (my HTC 8X isn't AWS spectrum compatible) and speeds in Sacramento, CA, a very mature LTE market are now hitting nearly 70 mbps down, 20 up.
  • I understand your frustration that you're still only getting 17 :)
  • I'm getting about the same with an Icon in an area that was on the list. There's been no difference at all today for me.
  • I average 40 mbps download and 10 upload on T-Mobile in the Orlando area. My max speeds have been 65 mbps.
  • I'd try it on my Icon, but I have only 205 MB remaining on my plan with 4 days left in the billing period, so I don't want to waste it. This whole LTE thing is stupid on capped plans...
  • 928 was on the list
  • Lumia Icon today in s. central PA 32Mbps down.
  • +929
  • Nice speed!
  • Atlanta must not go far into the burned. 15 down and 10 up. I'm just outside the perimeter at work in Norcross.
  • AT&T LTE on Lumia 820 today is 18.79Mbps Down 4.53Mbps Up in South Central PA. :-\
  • I have an icon, does it automatically give me xlte or must I upgrade my plan first???
  • You don't have to do anything.
  • exactly. xlte is just taking advantage of the 700MHz antenna thats coming out on new phones. Verizon is just turning on that signal. 700MHz is great for signal strength...distance wise and penetrating through walls
  • Chances are they dont have it enabled in the current fw & right now theres no diagnostic code to access these settings
  • I'm on T-mobile and I get 32mbps down on LTE and 21mbps down on HSPA+ so I don't really see the benefit in going with Verizon other than coverage in remote areas.
  • Yeah same here. Consistently get 30+MB down with T-Mobile while my Verizon coworker gets about 3mbps.
  • I'm jealous I have LTE in Boston on tmo and I'm getting 18 down and 5 up...although at least it's much faster than my home internet of 3.5 down and .6 up...
  • This is impressive. Faster than my home internet
  • Yeah, it is like 10 times my home internet and its pretty good
  • 8.1 installed? Getting 13 down 7 up on an SE.
  • 8.1 has nothing to do with it.
  • Exactly its the fw that matters
  • Omg is it fast! Wow, like the jump from dial up to broadband
  • My 928 and I are sad.
  • Yay!
  • On T-Mobile I just got 25.84 down and 6.45 up
  • Yeah, and while not bad, the area that that will happen in is alot smaller.
  • That's probably true, although I can't remember the last time I was in an area that didn't get it.
  • Hmm would it be worth it to switch from AT&T (whom I've had service with for over 10 years) to Verizon to take advantage of these "faster" speeds? I think not... My LTE speed is quite fast enough. Of course between home and work, I'm always on WiFi, and hardly ever have a need for speed for mobile broadband data.
  • I'm on att just outside Kalamazoo, MI. The signal isn't super strong out here but I get close to 20mbps. In town I will generally get closer to 30. I have nothing against Verizon. I have looked at switching and for me just can't justify the extra cost.
  • AT&T LTE is faster than XLTE I believe....
  • That's only in a small handful of high-bandwidth locales and in lab tests. In the real world, at least in northern NJ, I find Verizon to be significantly faster than AT&T when it comes to LTE. I've had 'em both within the past 6 months. 
  • So what you're saying is you don't have the need? The need for speed?
  • Those network improvements are the selling point of Verizon. Maybe their plans are a little more money, maybe their phone selection a tad duller, but their network is the bomb.
  • Yup. Maintaining a network at a national level as big as the US takes a lot of money. I'm willing to pay a premium for a company, that while maintaining this ginormous infrastructure also can manage to stay at the cutting edge of cellular data transfer speeds. The XLTE shorts are faster than most cable offerings. If it wasn't for AT&T and Verizon, there wouldn't be a TMobile.
  • Unless they ease up on data pricing, this is only good for Verizon marketing.
  • Their pricing is fine. People think that companies like T mobile are cheaper because that is the way it should be. T mobile leaches off of other networks. They don't maintain all of the hardware that their signals go through. Of course they are cheaper, but they are only cheaper and available because the big companies already have the infrastructure in place.
  • T-mobile builds and maintains their own network.
  • Only a portion of it. They still lease the roaming infrastructure. If they didn't do that, there would be no highway service, or service in the boonies. And because of that, they are able to be cheaper because they don't have to maintain stuff that doesn't get used 100% of the time. Verizon/ATT have to build and maintain hardware that doesn't necessarily have the per capita to offset their cost.
  • Exactly. Finally someone else other than me points this out... The max speed improvement is useless for most customers in real world use. Good for Verizon to reduce network congestion by possibly increasing the lower end speeds, however, and that also benefits customers. But the increased top speeds do not, even though that's what will be in the marketing.
  • Is Daniel on vacation or what? I haven't seen his articles for quite a while...
  • I take it he's trying to get away from writing articles and defering the bulk of the articles to Sam and rest to the other new guys here. I think Daniel wants to take on a more managerial/administrative/face for wpcentral. Which is fine. He's the head boss
  • Surface mini event?
  • He had an article over the weekend, I believe.
  • Had a friend test his 8X, he got 11down and 5up. Tested my Icon, got 35-45 down, 15 up. It's definitely working, and it's working awesomely.
  • Running 8.1 or stock?
  • 8.1
  • So close 928...NOT!
  • 928! Nooooooooooo!
  • meh... Just got 1.28Mbs down, 0.47Mbs up. Here in South Africa
  • Verizon confirmed the Lumia 928 last year when it confirmed the Q10. Hopefully it'll be enabled!
  • I'm in Westery, RI right now (at work), I get 5 bars of Verizon LTE coverage, just downloaded Microsoft's Network Speed Test and ran it.... On my Nokia ICON I got 44.18Mbps down and 10.63 Mbps upload.. Pretty impressive if you ask me for a mobile connection.... better than my step up Comcast home internet How would someone know if they are on XLTE ? WIll it show a new logo in the corner of the display(like it shows LTE now). Is there a updated list of locations where it is active ?
  • WPCentral just posted an article right before this one outlining the cities of is available in.
  • The device will not clue you in. It will look just like regular LTE. And yes the mayors ate being updated g to show the areas.
  • 3 bars in Seattle, getting 33/5 on my Icon.  Very nice.  I never got above 15/3 or so in this area previously, and the highest I had seen was 25/10 in DC last year on my 8X.
  • 18/10 McPherson Kansas.  Lumia Icon Previously was 8ish/4.    
  • About 10 miles outside Chicago. 35 down & 11 up on my Icon.
  • Does a Lumia 1520 work on Verizon?
  • No Lumia 1520 on Verizon. They don't sell it - they don't activate it on their network. 
  • I've been contemplating switching back to Verizon (on AT&T now) due to much better coverage throughout Georgia, but haven't bitten the bullit... this (combined with matching AT&T generally on price off-contract) makes it oh so much more tempting!
  • So this is Verizon naming for 4G? (true 4G).
  • It was my understanding the 928 has the correct hardware to support this but requires a software/firmware update. Can anyone at WP Central confirm this with VZW?
  •   928 look at this http://www.wpcentral.com/full-speed-ahead-nokia-lumia-928-may-pick-aws-support-verizon
  • 928 has the hardware, just waiting for the software to enable it
  • In UK on 4G (LTE) I have maxed out at 38 mbps download and 19 up that's on EE / 4GEE plan. Recorded with speed test.net app for Windows Phone
  • I'm interested to see Three with their 4G. I got like 8mb down on 3G with them.
  • Don't forget the Lumia 920 from Canada... It has AWS properties (I'm currently using one on Wind Mobile, 1700MHz)
  • Megopolis of Lima, Ohio testing in at 20 down and 10 up on my 928.
  • So what happened to the 928? Verizon anyway said last year it would support aws so what gives
  • Verizon said they would support XLTE on the 928, they just didn't say when. 
  • 22.87 down & 2.42 up on my Lumia 928 in the sticks of Northern PA, the only reason I stay with Verizon.
  • No I wouldn't go back to Verizon had nothing but poor customer service there, plus would lose my unlimited data
  • Getting 37 down and 9 up. That is about what I normally get!
  • Hope this means cdns that import the icon will be able to utilize it in areas without 700 as hspa in my area is just as flaky as it was on my locked se x1a
  • I'm in buffalo 928 30down 6up
  • Amherst at the moment......18 down.....6.7 up.....as of this morning anyway.....   Scratch that.....28 down......5 up as of this afternoon....woot ! And for the record.....thats faster than my Apple Extreme wifi at home.....Microsoft Network Speed test on all
  • So what is the difference between LTE and XLTE? As we have had LTE in Oz for over a year, is this something new?
  • There is no difference. "XLTE" is just Verizon's marketing-speak for adding another frequency band (1700MHz AWS) in congested areas. The "extra speed" is really just a return to normal LTE, before the service was overcrowded with too many LTE customers. There's no magic in an XLTE capable phone- it's just an LTE phone that supports both Verizon LTE bands- 700MHz and 1700MHz. I guess the dual band (AM and FM) radio in my car, by Verizon's definition, is an "XRadio"... :)
  • Generally speaking, it would be better for your readership if you took the MN articles and tailored them to the WPC audience rather than posting multiple articles with fragments of useful information. Or maybe you are well aware of that and just working with the constraints that are placed on you?
  • Lumia 1020 on AT&T: Connection Type: Cellular
    Server: Chicago, IL
    Download: 31.32 Mbps
    Upload: 12.43 Mbps
  • Speedtest.net gave me 10.97 down and 5.84 up here in Bradenton FL. and Microsoft's Network Speed Test gave me 8.05 down and 4.19 up. Don't know which one to believe though. Nokia Lumia Icon
  • When the 928 came out a year ago......Verizon/Nokia stated that the 928 would be able to run the AWS/XLTE faster network. So who's holding this up.....Nokia or Verizon ???!!??
  • At this point it's Nokia holding up the show. Or maybe it's Microsoft now. But then Verizon has to test and bless the firmware update before they distribute it.
  • Via Speedtest.net 62.68Mbps⬇ and 19.32Mbps⬆ on Lumia Icon, in San Antonio, TX. Previous average 40-45Mbps⬇ and 10-15Mbps⬆ . Increased signal strength in office: 3 "bars" before, now 5 "bars".
  • I thought the 928 was reported to have the ability to connect and take advantage of AWS bands when it came out.
  • Thanks for the tip Sage.
  • Ok so san Diego is on the list of xlte cities and I have a Nokia Icon. How would I be able to tell if I am on xlte or lte?? I am also running windows 8.1..
  • How do you check on the icon by Nokia if you have it? I didn't bring my glasses.
  • Sweet. Now I can blow through my data cap in 5 minutes.
  • Does it mean that Lumia Icon will work on TMOBILE AWS without problems?
  • No, not necessarily. Somebody is going to have to try it and report in. There's no telling what funky things Verizon will have done with the GSM side of the Icon for North American carriers. 
  • L1520 Indianapolis att lte indoors 3 bars: 31.32 down / 11.87 up
  • Icon-4 Bars-62.77 down-5.25 up in Northridge, Ca.
  • That's really good! I'm in Monterey Park, CA and only get about 30 down and 15 up!
  • Only? How much more do you need?
  • Yes!!! And I'm in its market, go me!!
  • I think they've already turned out on long ago, or at least in testing... Got this the other day: http://www.speedtest.net/wp/11051675.png
  • Thank you for some love for the loyal WP users. I have an ICON. we shall see what we get.
  • 928??
  • Waiting for a firmware update on the 928 to enable XLTE. The hardware is there - they just need to flip the switch. 
  • http://imgur.com/Qtersye    77mbs down in Des Plaines. Not my fastest though. Fastest is 85.41 back in March. 
  • I remember that post lol.
  • The 928 has aws too
  • how can u know it is original phone is this.