iPhone 5 or earlier Bad 4G signal with IPhone 5

[VKarastoyanov]

Hi everyone,

I have problem with the 4G network on my IPhone 5. When I'm in very good coverage 4G goes very well, but when I'm in less coverage the 4G network switch into 2G and I have to wait a couple of seconds or minutes to return into 4G again. At the same time, my wife, using IPhone 6 plus doesn't have any problem.
What could be the problem? Thanks in advance.

 

[d123]

Hi everyone,

I have problem with the 4G network on my IPhone 5. When I'm in very good coverage 4G goes very well, but when I'm in less coverage the 4G network switch into 2G and I have to wait a couple of seconds or minutes to return into 4G again. At the same time, my wife, using IPhone 6 plus doesn't have any problem.
What could be the problem? Thanks in advance.

What frequencies does your network use? The iPhone 5 is more limited on what frequencies it can use, compared to the 6.

 

[VKarastoyanov]

What frequencies does your network use? The iPhone 5 I'm more limited on what frequencies it can use, compared to the 6.

My network uses band 3 for the entire network. I wonder if IPhone 5 has weaker antenna than IPhone 6 plus.

 

[Apple_Robert]

My network uses band 3 for the entire network. I wonder if IPhone 5 has weaker antenna than IPhone 6 plus.

You are probably seeing the effects of older hardware struggling to keep up.

 

[Reno Raines]

If you are seeing the symbol 4g then it is not LTE. I have been hearing some companies are refarming their hspa 3g/4g to LTE. T mobile for one is doing that. This could also possibly the issue too.

 

[pika2000]

My network uses band 3 for the entire network. I wonder if IPhone 5 has weaker antenna than IPhone 6 plus.

Is this a new occurrence? Does it always behave like that or just recently? Double check your network's LTE band just to make sure they are still using only that band. Most networks are using multiple bands nowadays, and it might be that there are areas where they are utilizing band that the iPhone 5 doesn't support.

Do remember that the iPhone 5 is Apple's first LTE phone. The iPhone 6 is two-generation later, thus it has a much improved radio/modem. I wouldn't expect a tech to perform as well as another one that is two generations newer.

 

[d123]

If you are seeing the symbol 4g then it is not LTE. I have been hearing some companies are refarming their hspa 3g/4g to LTE. T mobile for one is doing that. This could also possibly the issue too.

Your comment is incorrect for most of the world, 4G does indicate LTE, and if a network refarms 3G spectrum to 4G it means that spectrum is reallocated to 4G LTE (an example would be Vodafone UK which has refarmed 2100Mhz from 3G to Band 1 LTE), an iPhone would show the symbol 4G when connected to LTE.

 

[Reno Raines]

Your comment is incorrect for most of the world, 4G does indicate LTE, and if a network refarms 3G spectrum to 4G it means that spectrum is reallocated to 4G LTE (an example would be Vodafone UK which has refarmed 2100Mhz from 3G to Band 1 LTE), an iPhone would show the symbol 4G when connected to LTE.

Well I can’t speak for most of the world but in the US LTE means just that. 4g was a moniker for hspa 3g which was faster than traditional 3g. T mobile used it as a way to say they had 4g before they were able to roll out LTE. I believe ATT has this as well.

 

[d123]

Well I can’t speak for most of the world but in the US LTE means just that. 4g was a moniker for hspa 3g which was faster than traditional 3g. T mobile used it as a way to say they had 4g before they were able to roll out LTE. I believe ATT has this as well.

The rest of the world was quite amused when the US networks were labelling 3G as 4G

The ITU officially list LTE as a 4G technology, in Europe (and probably further afield) even LTE+ is simply shown as 4G on the iPhone...