Xiaomi’s LTE Phone: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Set Up for Maximum Speed

Have you ever noticed that your Xiaomi features LTE support, but you didn’t quite understand what it means? Or why sometimes a 4G icon appears in the status bar, and sometimes LTE? This article will take you through all the nuances of LTE technology in Xiaomi smartphones, from basic principles of operation to hidden settings that will help you squeeze the most out of the mobile Internet.

We will not be bothering you with technical details about modulation. OFDM Or bandwidths (though if you're interested, you'll find this in the spoiler below), instead, let's focus on the practice of how to check for support. LTE Why the speed can “sink” even with a full signal, and what to do if the phone “can’t see” the network 4G. And then we'll sort of sort of sort of disassemble myths «LTE faster 4G» or «5G kill LTE».

Spoiler: If you have a Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 suddenly stopped catching LTE — The problem may not be in the phone, but in the SIM-The map or the operator's settings, but everything in order.

1. Are LTE and 4G the same or is there a difference?

Let's start with the main thing: LTE and 4G are often used interchangeably, but technically, that's not exactly true.

4G is the standard that defines the requirements for speed, latency and other parameters, and LTE is a technology that was supposed to be part of 4G, but at launch was not up to the stated characteristics, so the first LTE networks were called "3.9G", and later, when the speeds increased, they simply called everything 4G.

The difference between the 4G and LTE designations in Xiaomi’s phone is as follows:

• 📶 LTE — basic version of the technology (up to 150 Mbit / s).
• 📶 4G+ LTE-Advanced - improved version with carrier aggregation (up to the previous version) 300-600 Mbit/s).
• 📶 5G — The next generation, but Xiaomi is still in use. LTE back-up.

Important for Xiaomi owners: if the status bar is lit “LTE” instead of “4G”, this does not mean that the speed is lower – just the operator has not activated the carrier aggregation in your zone.

2. Which Xiaomi phones support LTE (full list by model)

Almost all Xiaomi smartphones released after 2015 support LTE.

• 📱 Budget models (Redmi A series, POCO C) - usually LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbps).
• 📱 Mid-size segment (Redmi Note) 11/12, POCO X4/X5) — LTE Cat. 6-12 (before 600 Mbit/s).
• 📱 Flagships (Xiaomi) 13/14, Mix Fold) — LTE Cat. 18-20 + 5G.

To find out exactly what standard your Xiaomi supports, do the following:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → All the characteristics.
2. Find the Network or LTE string.
3. If you mention LTE-Advanced or Cat. 6/12/18, your phone supports accelerated 4G.

⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi is not catching LTE, Although the specifications indicate support, check if the old phone is inserted SIM-card (without support) 4G). Operators have long ceased to issue such, but they still meet.

3. How to enable LTE on Xiaomi (step-by-step instruction)

Xiaomi's default LTE is on, but sometimes the settings get lost, especially after you upgrade MIUI or reset to factory settings. Here's how to get it back:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose yours. SIM-card (if two of them).
3. Click Network Type or Preferred Network Type.
4. Install 4G (LTE) or 3G/4G (auto).

If you don't have a network type, your operator is blocking the manual switch.

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Manually select the operator network in Settings → Mobile network → Network operators.
• 📎 Check if the Save Traffic mode is activated (it may limit the traffic). LTE).

Make sure that SIM-card 4G

Check the network type settings (LTE enabled)

Reboot the phone

Update MIUI firmware to the latest version

Reset network settings (Settings → System → Reset → Network settings reset)

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Hidden life hack: If LTE speed suddenly drops, try resetting your modem settings in the engineering menu.

##4636## → Phone Information → Select SIM → Reset RRC Connection

4. Why Xiaomi is not catching LTE: top-up-7 causes and solutions

If your Xiaomi stubbornly refuses to connect to LTE, the problem may lie in one of these points:

1. SIM-card does not support 4G — replace it with a new one (USIM) operator.
2. APN settings are lost — check settings in Settings → Mobile Network → Access Points (APN). For MTS, Beeline and MegaFon, settings are usually loaded automatically, but sometimes manual input is required.
3. The operator has restricted LTE – some tariffs (such as “For Talks”) can block 4G.
4. Firmware issues – upgrade MIUI to the latest version or reflash your phone via Fastboot.
5. Hardware malfunction: If the phone fell or got wet, the communications module could be damaged, and only the service center will help.
6. Regional restrictions – some Xiaomi models (e.g. for China) do not support Russian LTE bands.
7. Conflict with two SIM-If you use Dual-SIM, try to take out the second card.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI missing LTE — Reset network settings (Settings) → System system → Reset → Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth. This often solves the problem without flashing it over.

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If LTE It is not working properly, try to disable VoLTE (voice by voice) LTE) customized SIM-Sometimes it helps to stabilize the connection.

5. How to speed up LTE on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Even if LTE works, it can be far from the highest speed, and here are proven methods to increase it:

• 🔄 Switch to another range: Some carriers (like Tele2) work better at 800 MHz (Band 20) and MTS at 1800 MHz (Band 3).To get the phone to use the desired range, install the Network Signal Guru app and manually block unnecessary bandwidths.
• 📡 Turn off automatic network selection: C Settings → Mobile network → Network operators pick your operator manually, and sometimes automatic mode connects the phone to a congested tower.
• 🚀 Activate LTE-Advanced: If your Xiaomi supports Cat. 6 and higher, but the speed does not exceed 150 Mbps -- check if carrier aggregation is enabled (##4636##) Find the preferred network type and select the LTE/TD-SCDMA/GSM auto.

Extreme method: If nothing works, try changing your phone's IMEI (for advanced users only!).This can unlock additional LTE bands, but it's fraught with legal issues. We don't recommend this method, but we'll mention it for the sake of the full picture.

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The most reliable way to speed up LTE is to use an external antenna (such as the Xiaomi Mi WiFi Amplifier 2) or a signal repeater, which is especially true for country homes where coverage is weak.

6.LTE vs 5G in Xiaomi: Should we switch to the new?

Many owners of Xiaomi with 5G support are wondering: is LTE outdated? the answer is no, and here's why:

• 🌍 Coverage: LTE It is available even in the outback, while 5G — only in the major cities.
• 🔋 Energy consumption: LTE It consumes less battery than 5G (on 15-20% Xiaomi-based 13 Ultra).
• 💰 Cost: tariffs with 5G It is still more expensive, and the increase in speed in real conditions is often unjustified.

However, there are scenarios where 5G is justified:

• 🎮 Online games with low ping (LTE grant ~30-50 miss, 5G — ~10-20 miss).
• 📥 Download large files (such as updates) MIUI 2-dimensional+ GB).
• 🏙️ Use in megacities where networks LTE overwhelmed.

If your Xiaomi supports both standards (e.g. POCO F5 or Xiaomi 14), you can set up automatic switching:

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select the preferred type of network.
3. Install 5G/4G/3G/2G (auto).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro) 5G It may not work well due to firmware issues. Check the reviews of a particular model on forums before buying (e.g, 4PDA or MIUI Russia).

7.The future of LTE in Xiaomi smartphones: what to expect in 2026-2026

Despite the strong promotion of 5G, Xiaomi has no plans to abandon LTE in the coming years.

• 📱 Budget models (Redmi A series, POCO C) until 2026 will be issued only from LTE — 5G They will not be available due to the high cost of chips.
• 🔄 Dual-SIM with LTE: In the flagships (for example, Xiaomi 15) one of the most important SIM-The card will only work in the mode LTE, battery-saving.
• 🌐 LTE Xiaomi is actively developing the smart home ecosystem, and many devices (for example, Mi Home Security cameras) still use it. LTE backup.

Fun fact: In 2026, Xiaomi began testing LTE-M (a simplified version of LTE for IoT devices) in its laptops and tablets, which means that even if you don’t use a smartphone, LTE will remain relevant to other gadgets of the brand.

What about speed? Labs are already testing LTE Cat. 22 at theoretical speeds of up to 3 Gbps, but mass-market smartphones won't be around until 2026. So far, even Xiaomi's flagships are limited to the Cat. 20 (up to 2 Gbps).

FAQ: Frequent questions about LTE in Xiaomi