5G

[DennisN]

My iPhone is 5G ready, but looking at my provider (Vodafone) shows that they want extra payment for a 5G contract. But their coverage is showing very little, so I didn’t buy a 5G contract.

I didn’t expect to ever see 5G. But within a week I found my phone indicating 5G, so I did a Speedtest and it showed something like 395Bps. Later that day it warned that my 20Gb data was low, then within minutes was empty. After growling at everybody under the sun I concluded that I had not updated my phone with Google photos before leaving the safety of my home broadband so it updated in that car park and I had to wait three weeks for the month to renew.

Anyway, today in Cardiff, I noticed the 5G symbol again and Speedtest retuned three readings between 590 and 615. I had a look at a website to see if it worked and it did. But I think it cost me a Gb of data.

Question is, will 5G work without a contract (because it seemed to me it did) and if so, does it gobble more data than 4G?
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Kremmen]

Surely that updating would have happened under 4G, just more slowly.

My Android has a switch to not update anything unless on WiFi, has Apple got that switch ?
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DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

[DennisN]

Yes there’s the same switch on iPhone, I just didn’t realise my Google photos were going to do this on a new phone. I know about that now.

So I’m asking about 5G without a contract - does it cost me more data usage than with a contract?
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Kremmen]

I know with Tescomobile, from my 4G experience, you have to request it.

I guess in your case they've identified you can use it, you will use up your Gb very quickly and hope you will purchase more data.

Reading some of the complaints that a high number of these firms keep charging you monthly for a phone you've fully paid for doesn't surprise me.
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DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

[DennisN]

I think I heard there’s a new rule (or one is coming) to prevent them continuing to charge. But anyway, I long ago recognised that game and changed to buying my phone myself and having a SIM only contract.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Kremmen]

Same here, I bought my Samsung 10 from JL.

Tesco tried to persuade me that a monthly contract with phone was cheaper as they 'subsidise the phone price' but when I did the maths the monthly contract over 2 years was £200 more than phone & sim deal.

Tesco have a useful feature that allows you to set a limit on any overspend. Mine is set to zero but I never go anywhere near my 4Gb limit, rarely get over 1Gb.
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DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

[DennisN]

What I want to know is - if I use 5G to run CamerAlert (show map only when near camera), will it use any more data than 4G?
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Kremmen]

Good point, my guess is probably not, just quicker but no more.

But only a guess.
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DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3

[DennisN]

That’s my guess too. But something just bothers me. Maybe there’s something out there which won’t download on 4G but will on 5G. Like 64 bit and 32 bit.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Lariliss]

When you use the Speedtest - 5G will consume more data, as it is a so-called 'load test'. The application purpose is to show the best performance.
Other applications running in the background will have faster transfers of the same data chunks, as in 4G or 3G.
But beware, that any application is using proprietary protocols, that may detect peak data transfer rates and get more from your mobile.
Browsing the same web page in 3G/4G or 5G should not get the same data, but at different rates.
For sure, there should be special contract details about 5G at least in the sense of data usage. Your subscriber profile gets drastically different.
5G might be launched in a testing mode for free? Operators need data on the number of 5G capable mobiles in the network and subscriber behavior profile changes for further contracts amendment and promotions.
Probably, you may tell your mobile not to camp on 5G until there is clear understanding of the 5G launch details.
Edit: 4G and 5G are just a 'wireless pipe' from operator side. The downloaded content you get from application servers, third party providers - what you get on 4G you should get in 5G.
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Number, Letter, Note: Know, Think, Dream.

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