5G iPhones are officially here. Just like Apple’s better-late-than-never approach to wireless charging, biometric authentication, and custom home screen widgets, the introduction of 5G into the Apple ecosystem officially makes this new technology a “thing.” That’s due in large part to Apple’s massive 50% market share on the smartphone market. Things simply aren’t cool until they get branded with that iconic Apple logo.
Marketed to have a brand new (albeit nostalgic) design, magnetic “wireless” charging, and a wider variety of sizes, the talk surrounding the numerous variants of the iPhone 12 will likely center largely around its 5G capabilities.
But, for as much as we enjoy poking fun at Apple for delaying the adoption of exciting technologies into its iPhone lineup, at least part of the reason the company waits is because many of these technologies aren’t yet good enough to be featured on its premium devices (except for USB-C — that’s still mostly a “money” reason).
The same can be said for 5G. Coverage across the globe was not good enough when Motorola unveiled the first-ever 5G consumer phone in 2019. Truth be told, the coverage still isn’t very good now that Apple has entered the game. Whether the Apple stamp of approval forces the market to adopt greater coverage across the map remains to be seen, but those prospects don’t make the following statement any less true: 5G kind of sucks right now.
We’ll do our best to explain why.
Consider Verizon, seen by many as the company leading the way for carries in the US. Verizon received a surprising amount of unprecedented airtime during the iPhone 12 reveal event, making bold claims about its technology’s capabilities. That’s not to say Verizon doesn’t have an impressive offering, but there’s a reason the company’s “5G Nationwide” plan is often seen surrounded by quotation marks. It’s hardly nationwide at all.
Just take a look at Verizon’s coverage map, which highlights just how much of the US isn’t covered with that coveted shade of 5G Nationwide red (sorry, Wyoming).
And even still, Verizon’s 5G Nationwide is said to be only 20 percent faster than 4G wireless networks. That’s not an improvement to necessarily scoff at, but it’s far from the high speeds many had expected early on.
Those game-changing speeds are often related to its 5G Ultra Wideband — built on millimeter wave (mmWave) technology — but even that comes with loads of caveats. For starters, it doesn’t travel very far. It also really struggles with obstacles (like walls). You may be able to experience Ultra Wideband outdoors, but you’re not likely to find it inside any building for the foreseeable future. Claimed to be 25 times faster than 4G, Verizon’s Ultra Wideband is available in less than 1 percent of the country as of September, per the Washington Post.
A New York Times article highlights just how rare 5G Ultra Wideband actually is. Having visited San Francisco — one of the handful of cities fortunate enough to receive the highly sought after tech — the Times reported that it needed Verizon’s dedicated 5G map to find areas offering the high speeds. It’s a useful tool for those looking to pinpoint areas of high speed, albeit one that shines a massive light on just how limited the technology currently is.
Worse yet, some of the Ultra Wideband areas weren’t nearly as reliable as Verizon had claimed, the Times wrote.
In all, the Times experienced what a majority of users will soon come to find out for themselves: Ultra-high speeds are hard to come by. Lesser 5G speeds will at times be 20-50% faster than 4G, but will often offer little more than marginal improvements over what’s currently available.
Verizon’s Ultra Wideband is currently available for 55 cities across the US, including the obvious ones like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Washington D.C., and Denver, among others. But, again, that’s just part of those cities (and we’re really stretching how we define “part” here). For a closer look, here’s Verizon’s coverage map.
Again, that’s not to say 5G won’t provide the next-level speeds that will help us reach the next evolution of wireless connectivity. We’re just not quite there yet.
So what do you think? Will you splurge on the latest iPhone for potential access to 5G speeds? Comment below.
