Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I honestly still don't know why is it so necessary 5G, when 4G+ is already giving us 300Mbps speeds...

Maybe on highly populated areas it will manage better lots of connections... That's the only benefit I can see. I'm happy with my 4G connection anyway.

It’s not just the speed. Actually, the most impressive part is latency. On 5G network the latency will be around 1 ms and in some cases up to 2 ms. When you have both low latency and high speed it will put the whole world into the same virtual room. Remote access will be like using a device locally. Remote control will be like local. VR and augmented reality will take giant leap forward etc. Let’s put it this way, the potential of this is awesome but something that needs to approached with security and safety in mind.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Populus
A short video on 5G by Devra Davis, an interesting person, professor with a rich background.

And another one about wireless in general for those who might be interested.
 
Last edited:
Hopefully more and more people ditch broadband for 5G and it will force better broadband speeds. My gigabit is great, but I'd love even more for downloading. ;)
 
What do people need all that speed for?

I understand 5G is more about total bandwidth. It's not you as an individual user getting more speed, it's about all users collectively and simultaneously using high-bandwidth services. For example, even with 5 bars of LTE, my internet slows down when at a major even like a baseball game or a concert. 40,000 people simultaneously using apps will do that. And 5G promises to help fix some of that.

That said, we also don't really have a choice. 3G used to be pretty fast too. I thought HSPA and HSPA+ were plenty for almost all uses - and indeed they were as I regularly got 3Mbps or more. But then LTE came out, and carriers started moving their available bandwidth from 3G to 4G. Today there are few dedicated channels in any given area dedicated to 3G still, so 3G speeds have become quite slow. The same will happen to 4G as the switch to 5G happens. You'll have to get a 5G phone just to keep up with the status quo.
 



Apple isn't planning to launch a 5G iPhone until 2020, but carriers in the United States and other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung are already testing 5G, which offers download speeds that are much faster than 4G.

Verizon invited MacRumors to Chicago to test its 5G network, giving us an idea of what 5G speeds will be like when we can use 5G networks on our iPhones in 2020.


Because there aren't iPhones compatible with 5G networks, we tested 5G speeds in Chicago with an LG V50 and a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, two smartphones that are Android-based.

Verizon has 5G in a few cities right now, in a limited number of locations, which is why we needed to visit Chicago to test it out. Verizon and other carriers are working on the 5G rollout, but it's a slow process that's still going to be ongoing even when 5G iPhones launch.

There are several 5G nodes scattered across Chicago right now, in the downtown area and in popular tourist areas near Willis Tower and the famous Bean.

In our testing with a 5G Android phone, we were able to hit download speeds of close to 2Gb/s, which is incredible compared to 4G LTE speeds. Near 2Gb/s was the fastest speed we saw, but since 5G is still new and still rolling out, there were inconsistencies.

Sometimes, a speed test on 5G could be under 100Mb/s, and then a retest right after would reach close to 1Gb/s. That's not unexpected because Verizon is using mmWave 5G that's super speedy, but can be impacted by nearby buildings, trees, windows, and sometimes, even heat from direct sunlight.

Verizon and other carriers have a lot of work to do on their 5G rollouts before 5G transfer speeds are ubiquitous, and even then, the highest speeds will be limited to urban areas due to the limitations of mmWave spectrum.

5G speeds in real world usage are impressive and are going to make the next-generation iPhones amazing. Streaming music and movies worked flawlessly, and we were even able to download an episode of Stranger Things (200 to 300MB) from Netflix in just a few seconds. PUBG, a 2Gb mobile game, downloaded nearly instantaneously on a 5G connection.

So when the 5G iPhones launch in 2020 and you're able to connect to a 5G network, you can expect flawless streaming, super fast download speeds for movies and games, instantly loading web pages, and more.

Verizon is still working on upload speeds, which are basically still relying on 4G and not taking advantage of 5G, but eventually, uploading content will be just as speedy.

Android manufacturers are rolling out 5G smartphones this year to be first, but iPhone users aren't likely missing much having to wait until 2020 just because 5G networks are still so limited and connectivity is still spotty as carriers like Verizon work to build out the connectivity.

Right now, Verizon is rolling out 5G to 30 cities, and it's available in Denver, Minneapolis, Providence, St. Paul, and Chicago, where we tested. It's not really clear what 5G pricing will be at when it's more widely available from all of the major carriers, but Verizon is so far saying it will be a $10 add-on to unlimited plans that currently start at $85 for a single line, although Verizon is waiving that fee during the early stages of the rollout.

For more on the 5G iPhone, the benefits of 5G, and how 5G will work, make sure to check out our 5G iPhone guide.

Article Link: Testing 5G: What 5G Speeds Will Be Like When the 2020 iPhones Launch

It’ll be hilarious seeing monthly data plans that can burned in less than a minute, if you can get coverage. All seems a bit pointless. 5g looks like roaming wi-fi.
 
From the article:

Not really worried about safety issues... yet. Afaik, there's no medical consensus that there are negative effects.

I should specify, i wasn't really referring to the safety issues, more along the lines of when they put up the antennas the range will be improved.
 
Why do I get the feeling that cell phone companies are going to price gouge the hell out of this. Fast speed are nice and all, but talk to me about pricing. I hope we don't go to "tier" based pricing systems.
 
As long as the network is fast enough to stream video to a phone, who really cares how much faster it is????
 
Do people realize that 5G will require more towers, closer together? Everyone seems to gloss over the health & safety affects.

Because it’s a shiny new toy that they do NOT need but have been hypnotised by the marketing for it.. plus bragging rights..

I honestly still don't know why is it so necessary 5G, when 4G+ is already giving us 300Mbps speeds...

Maybe on highly populated areas it will manage better lots of connections... That's the only benefit I can see. I'm happy with my 4G connection anyway.

Yes... well they promised all these fantastic 4G speeds, people didn’t think that those speeds were under perfect conditions with no congestion what so ever.. in real life 5G will be just like 4G and not get anywhere near those flaunted speeds once it’s used by masses of people.
And no one will need it as 4G is fast enough for phones.. even when congested.
 
That said, we also don't really have a choice. 3G used to be pretty fast too. I thought HSPA and HSPA+ were plenty for almost all uses - and indeed they were as I regularly got 3Mbps or more. But then LTE came out, and carriers started moving their available bandwidth from 3G to 4G. Today there are few dedicated channels in any given area dedicated to 3G still, so 3G speeds have become quite slow. The same will happen to 4G as the switch to 5G happens. You'll have to get a 5G phone just to keep up with the status quo.

I don't think 3G was quite as usable--there were noticeable delays. LTE was needed for sure.

If 5G is really all about planned obsolescence, then it all makes sense. For the carriers and phone makers.
 
IMG_3053-ANIMATION_large.gif

Too much sun is harmful too... Just sayin

That should be used for the people on here that claim Google and Amazon are evil and constantly spying on them, for those that say that and then use Facebook you need to write a ‘D’ on the front of the hat...

And 5G millimetre wavelength mobile signals are untested so no one actually knows about the health risks..
[doublepost=1564088476][/doublepost]
The folks defending 5G and claiming are no detrimental health effects simply do not know whether that is true or not. The fact of the matter is, we DON'T know what happens to the human body after long term exposure to 5G signals. Just as easily as you can say, "There aren't any long term studies proving that it's bad for you," I can rebuke with, "There aren't any long term studies proving that it's safe for you."

We need to be testing this stuff extensively before we broadcast it out over 62.7% of the population (that's just US residents living in cities; number expected to grow). But we don't. It isn't difficult to see what's wrong with that picture. This isn't tinfoil hat stuff. It's just common sense.

Yeap, it’s business 101... how can we increase our profits with minimum outlay, ah I know we’ll introduce 5G everywhere so we save a TON of cash on fixed fibre lines.. we’ll just push everyone over to wireless so our bottom line looks really healthy. Just ignore the untested health risks... who cares.

And if anyone thinks no they won’t do that... hmm look at the recent diesel emissions scandals... oh yes they ******* would!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: SoCalReviews
I'm more than ok with 4G and considering that a lot of towers will need to be put up and make our city and towns a lot uglier I couldn't care less for 5G
 
  • Like
Reactions: apolloa
I'm more interested how far away from the cell in order to test..

As real world performance may not get you these speeds as most people don't live this close to a cell.

Like anything progressing rolled out, it won't help those who live in places where it's not available.... But the speeds look good, if true.
 
So would unlimited plans be actual unlimited or will they throttle you to like 4G/3G speeds after using up your 5G data like they are doing with 4G? 5G would also be nice for cars that have cellular networks. Not worth buying this year's iPhone if it doesn't support 5G since you won't be future-proof assuming you dont upgrade every year and upgrade like once every 3-4 years.
 
i never believe mobile networks would be like ISP "unlimited" and never throttled, use as much as you like.. etc

As mobile carriers would be in a more expensive position over bandwidth then fixed services they can more provides

Even Verzion "Go unlimited) while they have unlimited 4G speed, its may be slower in congested times:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/go-unlimited-faqs/

In the past there was a 22Gig limit.. Not sure if these limitations have moved to a "Unlimited, but congested/slower at times"
 
I’ll hold off on any 5g till I see some updated health data. Once it goes live that’s when the real every day information will come into play.
 
A few months ago, I ran across this video from a 5G installer. It certainly is cause for concern.


Personally, I'd rather see great strides made in battery life, rather than speed.

Haha... I made it half way through the video. Couldn't take the super dramatic pauses. And I got the feeling he was about to pan down and show us his grapefruit sized gonads that the tech has given him.... :D
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.