With AT&T phasing out its 3G network to provide users with new features and faster speeds, you might have to change your iPhone model to one that supports 4G, which is much better and faster than 3G. So which one should you go for, and do you really need to change your phone in the first place?
All the iPhone models released after the iPhone 4 series use 4G. This means you can use 4G on iPhone 5 onwards. The list also includes all three iPhone SE models, as well as the recently launched iPhone 14 models. 5G began with the iPhone 12 and 13 and all models after (they still include 4G).
Let’s see all the hype about 4G, all the models that support this network technology, and how it differs from 5G in terms of speed, performance, and latency. We’ll also look at how you can tell which version you have to determine if you really need to buy a new phone.
What is 4G?
4G, 4G LTE, or 4G Advanced is a more advanced wireless network that replaced 3G. While it has the same purpose, i.e., to transmit data and calls to phones, it’s faster than 3G and carries more data. When it was initially introduced, 4G changed how we use our mobile internet.
Even though 3G networks weren’t that slow, 4G networks enabled users to do much more from their mobile phones, such as stream HD videos. In other words, it made smartphones into modern-age computers.
Today, it’s possible to perform almost all of the tasks you can perform on a desktop or laptop right from your mobile device, like tablets or smartphones. Moreover, 4G networks ensure you’ll get stable speeds everywhere, regardless of the data you need.
Which iPhone Models Have 4G?
The iPhone 5 and all other models introduced after it have 4G since they all support 4G LTE networks. Here’s a more detailed list of all the models that have 4G:
- iPhone 5, 5c, 5S
- iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus
- iPhone SE, SE (2020), SE 3rd-gen (2022)
- iPhone 7, 7 Plus
- iPhone 8, 8 Plus
- iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, and all models beyond.
What’s the Difference Between 4G and 5G?
There are many differences between 4G and 5G, but the primary difference is the speed. Theoretically, 4G can reach up to speeds of 100 Mbps, but in reality, the speed doesn’t exceed 35 Mbps.
In comparison, 5G is 100 times faster than 40, with theoretical speeds reaching as high as 20 Gbps and real-world speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 3 Gbps.
Another difference is in the latency. While 5G ensures low latency below five milliseconds, the latency in 4G is 60-98 milliseconds. Lower latency provides numerous benefits, such as better download speeds.
While 4G has a maximum download speed of 1 Gbps, 5G can increase that by ten times and go as high as 10 Gbps.
Coverage
And finally, the two also differ in terms of coverage. You can find 4G in nearly all towns and cities. And even though there’s poor 4G coverage in some remote areas across the globe, 5G only provides coverage in a handful of major cities for now, and it’ll take a long while for it to be as widespread as 4G.
The three 5G bands will involve different implementations, with dedicated bandwidth and speed.
How to Tell Which Version You Have
There are a few ways to determine whether you have 3G, 4G, or 5G.
If you’re somewhere with 4G coverage and your 4G plan is activated, you’ll see a 4G or LTE icon on top of the screen in the status bar. In the case of 3G, you’ll see 3G, and in the case of 5G, you’ll see 5G, 5G+, 5G UW, or 5G UC.
Another way to check is to:
- Open the Settings app and go to Cellular.
- Then to Cellular Options.
- Here, in Voice & Data, you’ll see the options available. For example, if you only have 4G (and not 5G), you’ll see LTE and 3G. In the case of 5G, you’ll also see 5G on the list of options.