- All of the iPhone 12 models come with 5G capability, which means faster uploads and downloads, plus the ability to experience new app features.
- To build these smartphones, Apple engineered all of its own hardware, including the antennas necessary to access 5G wavelengths.
- 5G can drain a device's battery, so Apple came up with a software solution called Smart Data Mode that lets your iPhone switch between 5G and lesser service.
If you're reading this, it means you've probably bought one of the new iPhone 12 models (or you're at least considering it). Now that you have a phone with 5G compatibility, you might have some questions: What does that actually mean? What can you do with a 5G iPhone that you can't with older iPhones? And how does 5G actually work?
Here's everything you need to know.
➡ You love badass tech. So do we. Let’s nerd out over it together.
How Does 5G Work on My iPhone?
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First, let's run through a mini-lesson on 5G. It's a type of electromagnetic energy that you can't see, and it operates at higher frequencies than previous communication standards, like 3G or 4G. At higher frequencies along the electromagnetic spectrum, the waves become more dense and powerful.
3G and 4G sit between the 1 to 6 gigahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum, while experts say 5G is closer to the band between 24 and 90 gigahertz. That explains why 5G is capable of downloading media in record time. For comparison, 1G networks operate at between 850 and 1900 megahertz.
Not all 5G is created equally, though. Some lower-frequency types of 5G aren't much faster than 4G. Apple, however, prefers to flex the iPhone 12's capabilities along the extreme end of the 5G spectrum. This is known as millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency 5G, and Verizon is currently at the head of the pack when it comes to offering this kind of speed.
➡️ How Much Faster Is 5G?
According to a Qualcomm network simulation, download speeds jumped from about 56 megabits per second (Mbps) for the median 4G user to over 490 Mbps for the median 5G user—a 900 percent increase!
So, you can see why Apple partnered up with Verizon for its iPhone 12 launch event. Verizon's "5G Ultra Wideband," as the company markets the service, includes 28 and 39 gigahertz mmWave bands. That may seem a bit broad, but as Verizon puts it in a 2019 blog post, "the wider the spectrum, the more data that is able to transfer among those waves."
So if you're at a football game with tens of thousands of other cheering fans who want to post photos on Instagram, 5G should fix the bottlenecking issue that typically stops your texts from sending.
What Is the Tech Behind 5G?
To get that fast and reliable service, a device must be able to collect 5G's waves of energy. Namely, that's through teeny-tiny radio-frequency antennas that fit inside your smartphone.
There are already a number of these antennas inside any smartphone. They help the device switch between various networks and spectrum frequencies (4G to LTE, to WiFi, to Bluetooth, and so on). But these background operations eat up processing power and drain your battery life. So, Apple came up with a solution using both hardware and software.
"We don't use any off-the-shelf parts that are available to other companies," Vitor Silva, iPhone product manager for the iPhone World Wide Product Marketing Team, tells Pop Mech. "We design our own antennas, we design our own 5G components to make sure that it fits our iPhone design, but also provide the performance that our customers are expecting to get from iPhone."
The custom hardware is part of a fully integrated system, including a revamped software stack. To optimize the benefits of 5G without compromising power and battery life, Apple analyzed everything from applications, to firmware, to iOS frameworks, said Arun Mathias, vice president of wireless technologies and ecosystems, said during the company's October 2020 event.
"We can be very space efficient, while also including the most 5G bands in a single phone, to work on 5G in more places than any other smartphone," he said.
How Do I Know If I'm Currently Using 5G?
With your iPhone switching between 5G, 4G, 3G, and LTE all the time, you'll want to know which service you're getting at a given moment in time. You can find this information in your status bar at the top.
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If you're in an area with 5G service, you'll see the 5G symbol in the status bar in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If you don't see it, 5G isn't available at the moment. If you see a 5G symbol with a plus sign or "UW" next to it, that means your carrier's upgraded, higher-frequency 5G service is available. This is the fastest you can get.
But keep in mind that just because you see the 5G symbol, it doesn't always mean you're connected to 5G service. This is just an indicator of the best possible service available—not what you're necessarily using.
What Is Smart Data Mode?
Want more control over whether or not you're using 5G? Check your settings under Smart Data Mode, Apple's software solution for automatically switching between 5G and lesser communications standards.
Essentially, when your iPhone doesn't need 5G speeds, it will immediately switch over to LTE service to save battery life. But as soon as speed is of the essence, your iPhone will utilize to 5G.
➡️ Ready to Upgrade? These iPhones Work with 5G
If your screen is off, there's a good chance you aren't staring at a download you want to use right away, so your iPhone will switch to LTE. But once you turn the screen back on and start actively using the device, it'll speed back up. If you're streaming music, though, you can't really play it faster, so your iPhone will probably switch over to LTE.
By default, Smart Data Mode switches on when you power up your iPhone 12 for the first time. But if you'd rather have active control over this setting, you can switch it off.
📲 To turn off Smart Data Mode: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data > Select 5G On (5G Auto is the default). To steer clear of 5G, pick the LTE option.
What New Things Can I Do With My 5G iPhone?
5G does mean faster uploads and downloads and better service in crowded places, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. In the near term, it can bring you enhanced experiences. That's because 5G gives app developers more freedom.
"If we know that you have an unlimited data plan…there are some features for developers that they can push [with] more data, without having to worry about data consumption for those apps," Silva says.
For example, that might mean augmented reality (AR) overlays in a map app. Earlier this year, Google Maps rolled out an AR feature called Live View that uses on-screen arrows and directions—overlaid on top of your environment—to help you navigate both indoors and outdoors.
It means better video calls, too. iPhone 12 users with 5G service can get high-quality FaceTime HD calls with 1080p resolution, as compared to the blurrier 720p calls of the past.
📲 More Things You Can Do With 5G:
- Your cell phone service with 5G is probably even faster than your home WiFi, so you can tether your iPhone to your laptop for faster internet.
- Videos will upload much more quickly to your storage service of choice, like iCloud.
- Due to decreased latency, gaming should be a better experience, with way fewer instances of lag.
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May 21, 2021 at 01:52AM
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