4g

How to save battery life when using 5G on iPhone

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save battery life when using 5G on iPhone 12
Are you using the right data mode?
Photo: Apple

If you’re using one of Apple’s newest iPhone models, you should be enjoying spectacular battery life — the best you can get from a modern smartphone. But if you’re not, the likely culprit is its super-speedy 5G connectivity.

5G consumes significantly more power than 4G, but there are some things you can do to minimize its impact on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. We’ll show you how.

App Store’s cellular download limit increases on iPhone

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App Store
Apple apps no longer dominate App Store search results.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has finally increased the App Store’s cellular download limit on the iPhone — but not by much.

You can now download up to 200MB over a 3G or 4G connection. The limit was previously set at 150MB. You will still need to connect to a Wi-Fi network to download larger apps and games.

U.S.’s crappy 4G service costs far more than it should

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Speedtest will show you that 4G LTE service in the US is often quite slow.
Speedtest will show you that 4G LTE service in the US is often quite slow.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Many other countries have much faster 4G service than the United States, according to a new study.  About the only places the US beat were emerging economies.

To add insult to injury, a recent study also found that Americans pay far more for mobile internet access than other developed countries.

Ranking every iPhone by 4G data speeds

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iPhone XS
Gigabit LTE on the iPhone XS is screamin fast.
Photo: Apple

Holding onto your old iPhone could be causing you to lose out on some serious 4G LTE speed gains made by carriers over the last few years.

A new study on the average iPhone 4G download and upload speeds in the United States found that iPhone 6 owners and earlier see seeds that are nearly 10Mbps slower than the latest iPhone models.

Apple admits Qualcomm was the only choice for 4G iPhone chips

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iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 was a brilliant phone. And Qualcomm was a big reason for that.
Photo: Apple

Apple has admitted in court that, when it transitioned to 4G connectivity with the iPhone 5, Qualcomm was the only company capable of providing the chips Apple needed.

The admission of Qualcomm’s technical superiority over rivals came from Matthias Sauer, Apple’s director of cellular systems architecture. Sauer said that Apple considered working with Ericsson, Broadcom and Intel — but that none could deliver the chip specifications that Apple wanted.

New LTE tech brings screaming speeds — but not to iPhones

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T-Mobile LTE speed test

Photo: T-Mobile

T-Mobile has increased LTE speeds to a staggering 500Mbps in New York City. It has become the first carrier to test commercial Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) technology, which sends 4G signals over unused 5GHz Wi-Fi channels to increase bandwidth, in the United States.

LAA will soon be expanding its reach across the U.S. — but you won’t be able to enjoy it on iPhone.

How to fix the iPhone No Service error while roaming

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IPhone no service error
Just switch this setting to fix the iPhone No Service error.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country with your iPhone or iPad, you may have come across the dreaded No Service error. This happens when you get off the plane and switch on your iPhone. But instead of connecting to a cellular network, your iPhone just spins its wheels and refuses to connect.

Apple offers a support page to help out, and a zillion forum pages serve up advice, but none seem to cover this particular tip, which I discovered after hours of painful futzing with settings.

Qualcomm demands ITC ban iPhones powered by Intel

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iPhone 6s teardown
Pegatron will team up with an Indonesian manufacturer..
Photo: iFixit

The ongoing fight between Apple and Qualcomm could result in an import ban on all new iPhones powered by Intel.

Qualcomm requested today that the U.S. International Trade Commission place a “limited exclusion order” on all iPhones that use Intel’s 4G wireless modem. iPhones powered by Qualcomm’s chip would be excluded from the ban.

Qualcomm fights back with counterclaim against Apple

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iPhone 6s teardown
Pegatron will team up with an Indonesian manufacturer..
Photo: iFixit

After being sued by Apple for allegedly charging royalties on technology it did not own, Qualcomm is fighting back with a lawsuit of its own, claiming Apple is misleading and has breached its contract with the company.

Qualcomm has long been responsible for the wireless chips used in iPhones, iPads and many other Apple devices, but the relationship between the two turned sour back in January when Apple filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the chipmaker.

Verizon plans to roll out 5G network in 11 cities

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Verizon is about to get more expensive.
5G is coming to Verizon in 2017.
Photo: Verizon

The next generation of wireless internet speed is nearly here. But only if you have a Verizon account.

The carrier said today that it plans to start rolling out its high-speed wireless 5G network in the United States during the first half of 2017, making it the first cellular network to offer the new technology.

Apple may be testing iPhone tech that’s 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

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bump transfer
Apple was awarded a patent for bump transfer of data between iPhones.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The next iPhone you get may come with super-fast data speeds that are 100 times faster than Wi-Fi. Based on references found in iOS 9.1’s code, it appears that Apple is testing Li-Fi capabilities on the iPhone that use light pulses instead of radio waves to transmit data.

Hidden inside iOS 9’s system library cache file there’s a specific mention of “LifiCapability.” The reference was first spotted by 19 year-old developer Chase Fromm on Twitter:

LG’s Watch Urbane 2 is the first Android Wear watch with 4G

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lg
LG's smartwatches have always been bad, but the W7 is even worse.
Photo: LG
LG's new Watch Urbane doesn't need your phone. Photo: LG
LG’s new Watch Urbane doesn’t need your phone. Photo: LG

LG today unveiled a second edition of its Watch Urbane smartwatch, which finally frees Android Wear from your smartphone.

Thanks to its built-in 4G and 3G connectivity, the new Watch Urbane makes calls and continues to receive notifications even when you leave your phone behind.

AT&T increases unlimited data cap to 22GB

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att-increases-unlimited-data-cap-to-22gb-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201307o-ATT-TEXT-POLITICAL-DONATIONS-facebook-jpg
AT&T being generous? What?!
Photo: AT&T
AT&T being generous? What?!
AT&T being generous? What?!

AT&T is increasing its data cap to 22GB for customers who are still grandfathered into unlimited data plans. This is more than four times the 5GB cap previously offered to LTE subscribers, and more than seven times the 3GB cap offered to 3G subscribers.

Verizon to field-test super-speedy 5G network in 2016

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Verizon is about to get more expensive.
Verizon is about to get more expensive.
Photo: Verizon
Verizon wants to deliver even faster data speeds.
Verizon wants to deliver even faster data speeds.

Verizon has confirmed plans to begin testing the first super speedy 5G network in the U.S. next year. Its new service will have 50 times the throughput of existing 4G LTE networks, and Verizon is working with a number of partners, including Samsung, to accelerate its development.

Get 6 Months of unlimited talk & text, & 500MB of 4G Data for Free [Deals]

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redesign_StackSocial_SamsungS2_06

The Samsung Galaxy SII might not be the hottest phone on the market right now, but it still has a 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor, crisp 4.52″ screen, and dual cameras packed into an elegant design.

And you can get the entire package – a best-selling smartphone primed with unlimited talk, text, 500MB of 4G/3G data every month, and FreedomPop Premier for six months – for only $199 courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals.

Get the FreedomPhone HTC Evo 4G + Unlimited Voice and Text For 1 Year- only $159 [Deals]

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HTC Evo 4G
HTC Evo 4G

If you’re shackled by a unwieldy wireless plan that’s costing you an arm and a leg each month – FreedomPop is here to change all that. 100% free voice, free text, and free data on a 4G network is unheard of – but how can you make history if you don’t break boundaries?

That’s right. FreedomPop is offering the nation’s first 100% free mobile phone service with free voice, text, and data for one year – and Cult of Mac Deals has it available for only $159!

China Mobile Stores Putting iPhone Posters Up Early As Company Teases 4G Launch

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China-mobile-iPhone-posters-retail

Apple is yet to confirm its iPhone deal with China Mobile — the one we’ve been waiting for since the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were unveiled back in September — but that hasn’t stopped some stores from putting their iPhone posters up early. According to the company’s new 4G teasers, the devices could finally go on sale between November 9 and November 11.

EE Announces U.K.’s First 4G Pay-As-You-Go Plans

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post-249827-image-105e81c717b596d921f746a883c37359-jpg

EE has today announced the U.K.’s first 4G pay-as-you-go plans, as well as its “most affordable” pay monthly 4G packages as it looks to step up its fight against competing 4G services from O2 and Vodafone. They go live on October 30, and they promise to provide Brits with cheaper and easier access to the 4G revolution.

The New iPhones Will Support All Four Of The U.K.’s 4G Carriers, Despite What Apple Says

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gold-iPhone-5s-top

When Apple updated its website on Tuesday and added the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to its online store, we were surprised to see that it was only advertising support for two of the U.K.’s four 4G carriers — EE and Vodafone. But don’t worry, both Three and O2 have confirmed that the devices will support their new LTE networks, too.