Is using 4G instead of 5G a reasonable alternative?

[FF22]

Read this in the Seattle Times by way of republishing a Washington Post article:

5G was an overhyped technology bust. Let’s learn our lesson.

Phone companies and Apple promised that 5G would be an awesome improvement. Nope, says tech writer Shira Ovide. How can we believe in promises now of technology that will change our lives?

www.seattletimes.com

"As I mentioned, some people have found that their phone battery drains faster when the device is connected to a 5G network.

If you have a 5G-capable phone and service and you’re bothered by the battery life, consider turning off 5G. Your phone will connect over a 4G connection instead.

I’m giving instructions here only for the iPhone 12 and newer models. (Turning off 5G may not be an option on your Android phone.) Please note that these instructions might vary slightly on your iPhone.

For most people most of the time, it’s smart to stick with 5G Auto and let your iPhone choose whether to use a 5G network.

But if you’re particularly unhappy with your battery life, try the LTE option and see if that makes a difference."

Article was originally Washington Post

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I found that my Pixel 6 Pro has an option to use LTE. But the question, barring my own experiments, is what do folks think? I don't do a lot of data and so I might not be benefiting from 5G. What triggered this inquiry besides the article was last week I was away for the day on Whidbey Island and by the time I was driving home with another 30 miles to go, my battery was at 1% (yes, ONE PERCENT). Now I managed those last few miles without needing my cell phone. I was also in a major area where help would not be far away (I-5 just north of Seattle). Whidbey is known for some areas of pretty poor coverage. I'm Google Fi (T-mobile???). Would dropping to 4G be potentially beneficial?

Anything else one should consider around this issue.

(oh, yes, she had an Apple charger cable in her car and when I reached my car, the charging cable did not seem to kick in)

Thanks for you thoughts.

 

[srvctec]

I'm somewhat of a battery percentage miser on my phones and since 4G is plenty fast enough for any data I might use during the day, I've had 5G turned off on my P6P since day one and I've had the phone since release week. I don't see a need for the phone to constantly be trying to find and decide which signal is better between 4G and 5G, all the while draining my battery unnecessarily in the process.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[B. Diddy]

I recall when I had the 6 Pro that there was a definite difference between keeping the 5G radio on vs turning it off and relying on 4G only. With 5G, the phone would go from 100% to about 40% by the end of the day, whereas on 4G only, it would go down to about 50%. So it wasn't a drastic difference, but still enough to possibly make an impact if you really needed to conserve battery on a given day.

 

[patruns]

I don't use a lot of data as I am on wifi practically everywhere. My 6 Pro rarely is down below 60% by the end of the day. I'm on Google Fi and I guess 5G coverage on Long Island is good enough that the phone doesn't need to switch back and forth looking for a signal. But if 5G si spotty where you are, then it probably is a good idea to turn it off.

 

[drvier8]

I just posted a thread that I no longer have that option (missing, not just grayed-out) on my P6. Unlocked (bought from Google) on Verizon. I've not looked for it recently so I do not know what update killed it, but I cannot change it now even if I wanted to. No more Google phones for me. I'm done.

 

[B. Diddy]

I just posted a thread that I no longer have that option (missing, not just grayed-out) on my P6. Unlocked (bought from Google) on Verizon. I've not looked for it recently so I do not know what update killed it, but I cannot change it now even if I wanted to. No more Google phones for me. I'm done.

I think that's actually due to Verizon's shenanigans, not Google. Carriers can modify certain system settings.

 

[FF22]

I believe I'm seeing between 10 and 20% more battery in early evening. Still watching it.

 

[drvier8]

I

I think that's actually due to Verizon's shenanigans, not Google. Carriers can modify certain system settings.

I am sure it is, but Google should have enough clout to tell them to stop it. They seemed to be able to block this crap going back at least to my Nexus 5x. I got off the "Droid" line because of Verizon's shenanigans and I do not like to see them back at it. Getting them out of my phone is THE number reason I have been on Google direct phones for so long and put up with the sometime annoyances. If that feature/advantage is over now, Pixel is a much less compelling case for me.

When 14 comes out, I will do a full reset and if I end up on a Verizon build and not a general Google build, my next phone will not be a pixel when I replace this 6 in October.

Edit to add... what bothers me is that finding this was an accident. What other features/settings has Verizon blocked or "bugs" have they added. I do not know what on my phone is Google and what is Verizon.

 

[B. Diddy]

I don't think Google has the clout to tell Verizon to stop this because Google isn't a major phone manufacturer. Sure, they make Pixels, but the market share is still pretty small. Apple can throw their weight around because they have a big market share and they're obviously the only one who makes iPhones -- that gives them a lot more leverage (but I have no idea if this particular issue is something that isn't a problem on iPhones due to that leverage). Maybe Samsung might have the clout, but I doubt they'd care, since they're probably most interested in getting their phones in as many hands as possible, and if that means letting Verizon futz around with the system settings, then so be it.

 

[rafhelp]

what about on samsung + Android?

if i switched to 4g only what will happen? I get slower mobile data?

 

[B. Diddy]

what about on samsung + Android?

if i switched to 4g only what will happen? I get slower mobile data?

That always depends on your carrier. Even though 5G has been around for a few years, there are still plenty of areas where 5G is about the same speed or even slower than 4G (again, depending on the carrier). 5G radios still generally use more battery than 4G, but that also depends on the radio -- the Pixel 6 line was notorious for a 5G radio that used significantly more battery than the 4G radio.

 

[patruns]

When 14 comes out, I will do a full reset and if I end up on a Verizon build and not a general Google build, my next phone will not be a pixel when I replace this 6 in October.

Edit to add... what bothers me is that finding this was an accident. What other features/settings has Verizon blocked or "bugs" have they added. I do not know what on my phone is Google and what is Verizon.

Maybe it's time to find another carrier? T-Mobile has some of the best 5g coverage and Google Fi uses their towers......

 

[FF22]

Maybe it's time to find another carrier? T-Mobile has some of the best 5g coverage and Google Fi uses their towers......

Although, I think it was potentially poor T-mobile service (Fi, here) when I was on Whidbey Is, WA that resulted in almost complete battery drain. Although, Whidbey has some bad results, in the past Verizon seemed to have better coverage. I am finding with the drop down to 4G, I have better battery life in general.