The 5G network is lightning fast, but it also has disadvantages for the battery life of your iPhone. Is it therefore smarter to turn off 5G?
5G on or off: battery life or more speed?
The iPhone 12 was Apple’s first iPhone with support for 5G. If you had an internet subscription with 5G, you could use the 5G network at full speed.
On iPhones that support 5G, the ‘5G automatic’ option is turned on by default. But Apple doesn’t always use the faster connection with this setting. Your iPhone tries to find the optimal balance between the speed of 5G and saving the battery. According to Apple, your iPhone even takes the amount of data on your mobile subscription into account.
You can also choose to always turn on 5G. With the ‘5G on’ option, the faster internet connection is always used when it is available. Even though this means the battery runs out faster.
Turning on 5G on your iPhone does have a disadvantage. The 5G function requires more energy, which is why your iPhone’s battery often lasts less time when you have it turned on. But do you leave the 5G option on automatic? Then you will ultimately notice little difference in battery life. If you want to turn off 5G completely on your iPhone, follow the steps below:
Turn off 5G on iPhone
- Open the ‘Settings’ on your iPhone;
- Choose ‘Mobile network’;
- Tap ‘Mobile data options’ (do you have multiple SIM cards? Then tap the SIM card you want to adjust under ‘SIM cards’);
- Select ‘Conversations and data’;
- Choose ‘4G’.
These iPhones have 5G
Recent iPhones such as the iPhone SE (2022), iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 have 5G support. Does your iPhone have no 5G range? But are you sure that your iPhone and internet subscription have it? Then check whether the 5G settings are correct in the step-by-step plan above.
Do you have an old iPhone, without 5G? And do you secretly want to use the fast 5G connection? Then you have to upgrade. The iPhone 15 Pro is the best iPhone of the moment. If you are looking for a larger phone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the right choice. View the best prices in our price comparator, so you can be sure you get the best price.
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