Battery Life 18.5 : 4G vs 5G

[SebCohen]

So my iPhone 15 Pro 512 has never been terrible in the battery department. Sure, after each update there's a few days, up to a week, where it does some behind the scenes voodoo stuff that drains it fairly quickly.

18.5 wasn't different...it sort of settled down. But now it's eccelerating and it's ridiculous how fast it uses battery. I've been trying to figure out of it's an app or something. Today I just changed from 5G to 4G for "fun".... It's never been better. Like rediculously fabulous.

 

[UliBaer]

I also have set my iPhone to 4G (LTE) only.
I stumbled upon that tip to conserve battery on the net and simply tried it myself. The difference in speed is negligible in normal usage, but the difference in battery burning is significant!

[edit] Forgot: I use this setting actually on 17.7.2, but also had it on iOS 16. I think this is independent from iOS version.

 

[Artemiz]

The difference in speeds is noticeable when you’re in big cities on congested towers. Otherwise you’re fine sticking to 4G.
Curious though, have you tried using 5G Auto or 5G SA (if your carrier supports it)? Both are supposed to help with the battery drain typically associated with 5G (NSA).

 

[Reverend Benny]

I think it really depends on your country/cellular provider, iPhone model, HW that the cellular provider uses and frequency that's being used.
My 13 Pro worked great with using 5G and the same goes for my 16 pro, but I have been using the same cellular provider when on 5G.

 

[HouseLannister]

I think it really depends on your country/cellular provider, iPhone model, HW that the cellular provider uses and frequency that's being used.

And tower locations. If the iPhone is connecting to a 5G with one bar rather than a 4G with four bars, that can eat more battery. As you travel, your phone connects to different towers all the time. You might get great battery at home on WiFi and work on 5G, but then it all gets eaten up while driving around during the day.

 

[SebCohen]

I also have set my iPhone to 4G (LTE) only.
I stumbled upon that tip to conserve battery on the net and simply tried it myself. The difference in speed is negligible in normal usage, but the difference in battery burning is significant!

[edit] Forgot: I use this setting actually on 17.7.2, but also had it on iOS 16. I think this is independent from iOS version.

Ps 18.5 (and mind you I was a 17.7.2 holdout for LONG) is way way waaay better in absolutely so many ways. iOS feel more modern on it and it’s snappy…photos I actually got used to…

 

[SebCohen]

I can see the tower and I’m semi-rural, so no congestion. And it wasn’t like this before. So..something "did it". But it was one of those "I can see the percentage go down as I use the phone" type scenarios.

 

[lindros2]

I also have set my iPhone to 4G (LTE) only.
I stumbled upon that tip to conserve battery on the net and simply tried it myself. The difference in speed is negligible in normal usage, but the difference in battery burning is significant!

[edit] Forgot: I use this setting actually on 17.7.2, but also had it on iOS 16. I think this is independent from iOS version.

Except at my house there is only a very weak 4G/LTE cell, whereas 5G is much stronger, meaning phone hunts less.

So in my case it’s the opposite.

I just do airplane mode at home

 

[SoYoung]

5G is just marketing IMO. The speed on 4G/LTE is more than enough for phone usage and where I live the connectivity is still way more stable on LTE. When I switch to 5G it still go back and forth between 4G/5G sometimes and when I do a speediest, many times LTE is still getting better results. So, my phone is on LTE only since...always and its my second 5G phone (16 pro max, and 13 pro max before).

Plus, like others said, battery life is just better when on LTE, at least for me.

 

[lindros2]

5G is just marketing IMO. The speed on 4G/LTE is more than enough for phone usage and where I live the connectivity is still way more stable on LTE. When I switch to 5G it still go back and forth between 4G/5G sometimes and when I do a speediest, many times LTE is still getting better results. So, my phone is on LTE only since...always and its my second 5G phone (16 pro max, and 13 pro max before).

Plus, like others said, battery life is just better when on LTE, at least for me.

when I tether/hotspot, 5G is much superior.
also as maybe noted above, 5G signal strength has become a lot better/stronger, where I live, and where I travel (both big cities and middle of nowhere deep south).

Then again... to validate your point... my cars have 4G/LTE (Verizon in one, AT&T in the other), and while they max out at 25Mbps (up from 10!), with 5-20Mbps upload, the strength and stability is better than 5G hunting around...
(and T-Mobile / Verizon "home 5G" is mostly - like 90%+ - 4G radio, not 5G)

 

[Faize]

5G is just marketing IMO. The speed on 4G/LTE is more than enough for phone usage and where I live the connectivity is still way more stable on LTE. When I switch to 5G it still go back and forth between 4G/5G sometimes and when I do a speediest, many times LTE is still getting better results. So, my phone is on LTE only since...always and its my second 5G phone (16 pro max, and 13 pro max before).

Plus, like others said, battery life is just better when on LTE, at least for me.

I suppose that it's a reflection of how cellular data became a mature technology during the LTE era so any future improvements will be small and incremental.

6G is gonna be interesting - if 5G adoption continues to be such a challenge 5+ years into the era, how is the ITU hoping to convince carriers to spend billions on replacing all of their tower equipment yet again for zero benefit?

 

[Mrbobb]

Try both and see which one gives u the desired performance.

 

[platinumaqua]

5G NSA is not worth it due to the battery drain (since it needs to connect to both 5G and 4G). I keep it on 4G until I can get 5G SA