LTE, 4G or 3G difference and compatibility with Boron

I will keep you updated. Besides the own current business packages, Deutsche Telekom is partnering with https://1nce.com/ to provide a NB-IoT SIM in it’s network (500 MB, 10 years, one.time fee of 10 EUR). I requested one, let’s see…

How much more efficient is the Boron LTE vs the Electron 3G in terms of power consumption?

No official data was presented on that. Maybe @rickkas7 has done his own research on that already an can share.
But the fact that the device comes without a LiPo suggests at least that the 500mA of a standard USB 2.0 port shoud be enought to power the device and allow for all cell communication. Something unthinkable with the Electron.

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@freck, just to be clear. The LTE used by the Boron is LTE-M1 and not conventional high-bandwidth LTE. LTE-M1is a protocol specifically designed for low power IoT-type applications. The Boron uses the Ublox SARA-401M if you want to look at its specs.

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There are too many factors to consider to be able to paint with a broad brush, esp. because range to the cell tower has a sizable impact but switching from 3G to LTE-M1 might mean switching to a more distant (or closer!) tower. However, generally peak load and nominal loads will go down significantly. For our application which uses around 500mW right now, I would be surprised to see less than a 10% drop moving to the Boron. I would also be surprised to see a greater than 90% drop.

Also, as @ScruffR points out, the drop in surge current is considerable and has allowed Particle to stop requiring power supplies with a peak output 20 times nominal. This is probably the biggest advantage for us.

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