Unlocked Pixel 6 on Verizon....will I regret not having mm wave 5G?

[sulla1965]

According to Verizon's web site.

The 5G Ultra Wideband network uses the high-band, ultra-wide millimeter wave spectrum to deliver our best 5G experience available today. Think of 5G Ultra Wideband like an incredibly wide, superfast highway, with millions of trucks traveling inches apart from one another at breakneck speeds. The ultrafast speeds and reduced lag time (latency) can provide smartphones with new capabilities for activities like multi-player gaming on the go, streaming 4K 2 movies and video chatting in HD. And with its massive bandwidth, 5G Ultra Wideband will be able to support many more devices of the future in the Internet of Things.

5G Nationwide, meanwhile, uses a different, low-band spectrum that involves dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS). DSS is a technology that allows 5G service to run simultaneously with 4G LTE on multiple spectrum bands. With DSS, whenever customers move outside Verizon’s high-band Ultra Wideband coverage area, their 5G-enabled devices will remain on 5G technology using the lower bands. By deploying both technologies together, Verizon is able to use its full portfolio of current spectrum resources to serve both 4G and 5G customers, maximizing their customers’ 5G experiences on the Verizon network.

 

[Mooncatt]

The fact that it's the name of a feature in phones, not that it should be.

If someone phrases a question: "do I actually need UWB?", how do we know if they're asking about mm wave, or the thing that unlocks your car and finds the smart tag+?

Realistically, I don't think either should use the term.

I've never heard of it in reference to a phone feature other than in reference to mmWave. I was using UWB because it's easier for me to type out.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

I've never heard of it in reference to a phone feature other than in reference to mmWave. I was using UWB because it's easier for me to type out.

That's surprising, although it's not super widespread yet.

It's how the AR features in smart tag+, Air Tags and the new Tiles work, as well as digital car keys and stuff. It's pretty niche still, but the pixel 6 Pro has it.

 

[Mooncatt]

That's surprising, although it's not super widespread yet.

It's how the AR features in smart tag+, Air Tags and the new Tiles work, as well as digital car keys and stuff. It's pretty niche still, but the pixel 6 Pro has it.

The earliest reference I found to that sort of use was late 2019. I found this Verizon article from a year earlier referencing their mmwave as UWB.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...eres-verizon-5g-ultra-wideband&token=gh93oba3

But the point seems moot, because (if Wikipedia is to be believed) the terminology existed long before and was developed for military and radar uses. So neither Verizon or the smart tag industry can claim dibs on the name.

 

[slave]

Does anyone actually get 5G? It seems to be very scarce.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Does anyone actually get 5G? It seems to be very scarce.

It all depends on who is your network provider and where you live. I'm in Charleston, South Carolina and use T-Mobile, and while this is far from being a major market, I get sub 6 and mid band 5G pretty much throughout the city, about 50-50. Sub-6 is typically between 50-120Mbps (a bit faster than their LTE was), and mid band is typically between 250-500Mbps.

 

[swebb]

Does anyone actually get 5G? It seems to be very scarce.

5G is widely available, though 99% of it is sub-6 low band 5G which is not especially faster than LTE. MMwave 5G is very scarce and TMobile mid-band ("ultra capacity") is becoming more widely available.

 

[laker6666]

on Verizon? yes

 

[idiotekniques]

I have the 6 pro on Verizon in northern NJ right across the river from Manhattan, so this is probably one of the areas they will prioritize for mmwave. I've noticed the mmwave symbol more than I thought I would. Only outside, while walking or driving. I was waiting for a friend outside a bar on the LES of Manhattan and did a speed test on mmwave. Over 600Mbps.

I mean I don't care. I'm not going to stand outside and stream a 4k movie while running a hotspot to 3 other users. But it will be cool to see where it is in a year or two.

 

[swebb]

Exactly. I see the practical uses of mmwave to be in crowded venues (stadiums, convention centers) and extremely dense urban areas like downtown Manhattan. Speed is nice, but the main benefit of mmwave is bandwidth.