Update [Jan 3rd]: Verizon reached out to provide a correction of the story, stating that only the following devices currently sold by the company support its Gigabit LTE service: Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, and the Moto Z2 Force. The original story is as follows.
Verizon has listed the smartphones that are already capable of achieving maximum download speeds of 1Gbps through its upgraded 4G LTE network. They are the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and the Moto Z2 Force. These handsets can reach maximum data speeds of 1Gbps since they are capable of taking advantage of 256-QAM data modulation, 4×4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas, and 3-carrier aggregation technologies. The 256-QAM data modulation allows for more bytes to be sent in a single transmission, while the MIMO antenna technology permits the smartphone to send and receive multiple data streams at the same time. The carrier aggregation technology combines multiple bands in order to increase the maximum bandwidth that could be used by the handset. However, it is interesting to note that both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge are included in the list of devices capable of reaching data speeds of 1Gbps on the LTE network even though they are equipped with the Snapdragon X12 LTE Modem which was advertised as only being capable of achieving maximum download speeds of 600Mbps.
Verizon also enumerated the smartphones that will experience increased maximum downlink speeds once the carrier’s network has been fully upgraded. These include the LG V30, LG G6, iPhone 8, iPhone X, and one member of the ASUS ZenFone family. All of these handsets can take advantage of 256-QAM data modulation and 3-carrier aggregation technologies, although none of them support the 4×4 MIMO antenna technology. Verizon, unfortunately, did not specify the ASUS-made handset that will benefit from the upgraded LTE network, though the device in question is likely part of the new ZenFone 4 family.
It is important to note that not all base stations have already been upgraded to support the cellular technologies required for Gigabit LTE. Nonetheless, subscribers who already live in areas with the upgraded base stations will begin experiencing increased download speeds after installing a software update that will activate the feature. Verizon stated that a number of smartphones have already received the pertinent software update and the rest should soon follow suit.