For about three or four years now, major U.S. phone companies and smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, have been unwilling to shut up about 5G, the next generation of mobile internet networks.
“We’re still in the early days of 5G, but its incredible performance and speeds are already having a big impact on how people get the most from our technology,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2021. “We are giving the same amount of money,” he said.
AT&T, Verizon, and other American phone companies have bombarded us with commercials touting how 5G will improve the speed and performance of our phones and help doctors detect cancer earlier.
You may have a 5G cell phone now. i will do it. Has it significantly impacted my experience with technology? (You can also turn off 5G as it can drain your phone’s battery. Stay tuned for tips on that.)
5G could have even bigger tangible benefits in the future. It was gradual, but also inevitable and necessary progress. that’s ok.
What was bad was that companies were overhyping 5G and treating us like idiots who were fooled by the promise of new and wonderful technology.
One lesson is that we can’t honestly trust companies to tell us how today’s hot technologies, like artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and the Metaverse, will or won’t change our lives. is.
Fabricating the truth about 5G
There were two problems with 5G. Initially, it did not work as advertised in the United States.
Those who have tested 5G service have found that it can sometimes be available for just a block or two and is slower than 4G cellular networks in some locations. Companies would even say that they were provided with 5G connectivity, even though it was the same old 4G service.
The second problem is that with 5G service becoming more widely available in the US, many of us using 5G can’t really tell the difference.
Yes, it’s true that a phone connected to a 5G network could theoretically download a full-length movie in seconds instead of minutes. 5G could in principle also speed up response times for devices connected to the network. This means driverless cars and robotic surgical arms can respond to commands more quickly.
But 5G’s impact in the real world shows that technology improvements on paper don’t necessarily mean what they mean to you. There are many reasons why your phone may become unstable during his FaceTime call with your family. His 4G connection rather than 5G is rarely an issue.
The technology is good. The marketing pitch was wrong.
I would like to acknowledge that some people are benefiting from 5G right now. In places where traditional home internet service is unavailable or inadequate, 5G connectivity could be an alternative. Some companies are building their own 5G networks for tasks where ultra-fast reaction times come in handy.
But the bottom line is that no matter how much Apple, Samsung, and your phone company try to convince you to buy a new phone or upgrade your cell phone service just to take advantage of 5G, most people don’t actually It means you are not receiving any benefits.
The next mobile phones will be able to connect to 5G and perhaps even phone service. wonderful.
Just as you probably don’t care whether your next smartphone has a more advanced computer chip brain, you don’t need to think long and hard about the number of G’s.
These incremental improvements that make technology better, faster, and cheaper are determined by how the invention performs in the real world.
(Well, as for that cheap thing, telecom analyst and consultant Chetan Sharma says Americans are paying about $7 billion to $8 billion more each year because of people switching to more expensive unlimited 5G data plans.) We assume that you are paying your phone bill.)
We and the companies that develop technology need to recognize that not every new technology will change the way we live. At least, it doesn’t change enough to make for a compelling sci-fi movie.
How would you feel if a new form of artificial intelligence that mimics human writing turns out to have its killer automatically generating billions of versions of Instagram ads?
What if the important thing about computers in cars turns out to be not self-driving cars, but driver-assistance technology that helps with braking in emergencies or parallel parking?
5G is an incremental technology improvement, and companies were trying to tell us it was a revolutionary leap forward. That wasn’t the case.
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As mentioned earlier, some people have noticed that their phone’s battery drains faster when the device is connected to a 5G network.
If you have a 5G-enabled phone and service and are concerned about battery life. Consider turning off 5G. The phone connects via a 4G connection instead.
These instructions are only for iPhone 12 and newer models. (You may not be able to turn off 5G on your Android phone.) Note that these steps may be slightly different on your iPhone.
Go to your iPhone’s Settings app → Cellular → Cellular Data Options → Voice & Data. Alternatively, you may need to look for an option labeled Mobile Data or Primary SIM in the Settings app.
You may see three options:
- 5G auto: iPhone automatically connects to a 5G network if it has a faster, better connection, or to a 4G network if it doesn’t.
- 5G on: This will force your iPhone to connect to a 5G network if available. The battery may drain faster.
- LTE: Even if 5G is available, your iPhone will only use 4G service.
For most people, it’s almost always wise to stick with 5G Auto and let your iPhone choose whether or not to use your 5G network.
However, if you’re particularly unhappy with your battery life, try the LTE option and see if it makes a difference.
