Apple Is Going Along With AT&T’s Fake 5G E Network

5G phones are going to be big this year. For iPhones, however, we are not expected to see actual 5G devices until late 2020. Well, unless you are using a new iPhone and you are on AT&T’s network.

The carrier introduced something called 5G E recently, an “enhanced experienced” for customers on its LTE network. The company started showing the 5G E logo on some Android phones recently, and it is now showing the new logo on Apple’s iPhone devices with iOS 12.2 Beta 2, reports 9to5Mac.

The new beta of iOS introduces a new 5G E logo, with Apple displaying the logo for AT&T customers where the carrier’s 5G Evolution network is available. And the main problem with that, however, is that 5G E is not even 5G. It is the exact same LTE network AT&T has provided in the past, and it really has nothing to do with 5G.

To support actual 5G connectivity, Apple would have to change the hardware of its iPhones, and although only the newest iPhone Xr, XS, and XS Max devices are supported by the new 5G E network, it still does not change the fact that this is all just a big scam. You are not getting 5G connections here, and the 5G E logo is simply very misleading.

Both Apple and AT&T pulled a similar trick years ago with 4G, and the latest move is simply disappointing from a company like Apple. AT&T has already attempted to defend its move to use the new 5G E logo, though none of it simply makes any sense. The company is essentially trying to let users know that 5G is coming, but why use the 5G logo if it is not even a thing yet? Sigh.

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Conversation 9 comments

  • dontbe evil

    05 February, 2019 - 5:17 am

    <p>not surprised, they're king of fake ads</p>

    • Oasis

      Premium Member
      05 February, 2019 - 2:15 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#401981">In reply to dontbe_evil:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, They are SMOKE and Mirrors…. +1</p>

  • wocowboy

    Premium Member
    05 February, 2019 - 7:04 am

    <p>The iPhone XR only includes 2×2 MIMO, while the XS and XS-Max include 4×4 MIMO which is one of the defining capabilities AT&amp;T is using in their 5GE scam.</p>

  • Daekar

    05 February, 2019 - 9:38 am

    <p>Disappointed in Apple for going along with it. I expect better.</p>

  • Boris Zakharin

    05 February, 2019 - 11:08 am

    <p>So if there is a speed boost to 5G E, does any LTE-capabe phone get the benefits or only the ones supporting 5G E?</p>

  • evox81

    Premium Member
    05 February, 2019 - 11:22 am

    <p>T-Mobile did this a decade ago, calling their upgraded 3G HSPA+ network "4G" (versus "4G LTE") but their network really was capable of LTE-like speeds at the time. So I didn't really mind. AT&amp;T followed suit and called their 3G network "4G", with no real speed upgrade. That I did mind. This sound like they're doing the same thing. Same network, same speeds, new name. </p>

  • mattbg

    Premium Member
    05 February, 2019 - 1:00 pm

    <p>Ironically, if any 5G phones are released in 2019 then the only good ones will be the fake ones.</p>

  • skane2600

    05 February, 2019 - 2:04 pm

    <p>What started years ago as technical standards have become primarily marketing terms. Even when "official" 5G arrives, its implementation will probably be carrier-specific. A standard with too many optional aspects isn't really a standard at all.</p>

  • waethorn

    05 February, 2019 - 3:55 pm

    <p>Fake, or dangerous: 5G isn't all it's cracked up to be.</p>

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