The number of LTE-Advanced devices has rocketed over the last 12 months to 1,132 from 373.
This is according to figures published on Monday by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), which said 108 of those devices support LTE Category 6, enabling them to connect at theoretical peak speeds of 300 Mbps. The overall number of LTE-capable devices now stands at 3,253, an increase of 1,364 in the last year.
"Dozens of new LTE terminals are being launched every week with a growing share incorporating LTE-Advanced technology. The number of Category 4 devices rose 63% in the past four months; however, the range of Category 6 devices quadrupled in the same period," said Alan Hadden, vice president of research at the GSA, in a statement.
Indeed, the number of manufacturers making LTE devices surged 81% over the last 12 months to 305 companies.
The majority are churning out FDD LTE devices, although support for TDD LTE is growing, with the number of compatible devices climbing to 1,210 from 530 a year earlier.
Smartphones are the single largest device category, with 1, 783 different models – including frequency and operator variants – according to the GSA. However, most of those do not let their owners make calls over LTE, with only 198 smartphones currently supporting voice over LTE (VoLTE).
