One of the new communication technologies in the flagship smartphones is 4 M 4 MIMO.
But what is this connection technology and do we need it?
MIMO stands for Multiple Input, Multiple Output, and a device equipped with 4 × 4 MIMO technology has four antennas for receiving and sending information.
This is while a device with 2.2 MIMO technology is equipped with only 2 antennas. Currently, the iPhone XR uses 2 M 2 MIMO technology and the iPhone XS uses 4 × 4 MIMO technology.
What is MIMO?
MIMO is indeed a vital part of today's wireless communication technologies; Whether for 802.11ac Wi-Fi or 4G LTE telecommunication connection.
Previously, each device had only one antenna inside it, which in today's standard can be called 1.1 MIMO because it had only one antenna and could support one data stream at a time.
However, today devices such as smartphones or tablets come with more antennas. Thus, 2 M 2 MIMO has two antennas for two simultaneous streams of data, 3 M 3 MIMO has three antennas for three simultaneous streams of data and 4 × 4 MIMO has four antennas for four simultaneous streams of data.
More MIMO, higher speed MIMO is actually a vital part of today's wireless communication technologies; Whether for 802.11ac Wi-Fi or 4G LTE telecommunication connection.
Previously, each device had only one antenna inside it, which in today's standard can be called 1.1 MIMO because it had only one antenna and could support one data stream at a time.
However, today devices such as smartphones or tablets come with more antennas. Thus, 2 M 2 MIMO has two antennas for two simultaneous streams of data, 3 M 3 MIMO has three antennas for three simultaneous streams of data and 4 × 4 MIMO has four antennas for four simultaneous streams of data.
More MIMO, higher speed
Each device antenna is used to receive (download) and send (upload) information. The more antennas your device has, the more data it can move at any time, resulting in faster download and upload speeds. You can consider the number of lanes of a freeway that a four-lane freeway will carry much more traffic than a two-lane freeway.
Upgrading from 1.1 MIMO to 2.2 MIMO would actually mean quadrupling the speed of data transfer theory. Because each antenna supports a separate data stream to a maximum theory. The exact limit, however, will depend on the wireless network in use.
Higher speeds also require a network connection that actually supports 4x4 MIMO. Some US operators are currently equipped with this technology.
Higher MIMO also means more antenna
Recent experiments have shown that upgrading from 2.2 MIMOs to 4.4 MIMOs will result in higher signal reception and stronger antennas. In the PC Magazine test, which was performed on the iPhone XR with 2.2 MIMO and the iPhone XS with 4.4 MIMO, both phones were connected to the same LTE network. The download speed of the iPhone XS was about 400 Mbps, and for the iPhone XR about 200 It was megabits per second.
Of course, as mentioned, the difference in download speed is normal and comes from more antennas on the iPhone XS. However, the iPhone XS also showed better signal strength than the XR, even when connected to a network that only supported 2.2 MIMOs.
Obviously, if you live in an area with a strong signal or a download speed of up to 200 Mbps, 2 M 2 MIMO antennas will work for you, but otherwise 4 × 4 MIMO will have a stronger connection.
Wi-Fi over mobile internet
MIMO technology is used for both mobile and WiFi internet connection, but WiFi and 4G have separate antennas.
4X4 MIMO is currently used on most flagship phones such as iPhone XS, Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 3. In this way, they all benefit from four separate data streams in the mobile network.
However, some of these phones, such as the iPhone XS and Pixel 3, only have a 2x2 MIMO antenna in the Wi-Fi section, so if you have a 4x4 MIMO modem for Wi-Fi, you will not use its maximum speed. So it is better to research the WiFi and 4G antennas of your phone before buying.
Do we need 4 × 4 MIMO?
Undoubtedly, MIMO means more connection and you should prefer it. However, more antennas will increase the cost of manufacturing, and thus the final product will be more expensive for you.
This way you can see if you really need higher speeds and if your ISPs and service providers will support it.
At the time of writing, mobile operators in Iran or ADSL service providers are not yet able to offer 4 × 4 MIMO speeds.
That way, it makes virtually no difference whether you buy a device with 2 M 2 MIMOs or higher.
