Apple includes confusing "5G E" AT&T connectivity icon in iOS 12.2 beta

AppleInsider

AT&T's controversial move to add a "5G E" connectivity logo to smartphones on its network has seemingly reached the iPhone, with the second beta of iOS 12.2 reportedly displaying the logo on the screen when the iPhone access part of the carrier's "5G Evolution"-based network.

The 5G E connectivity logo (via u/JrB11784 on Reddit)

Screenshots of iPhones are surfacing online where iPhone users enrolled into Apple's developer beta for iOS are showing the confusing "5G E" designation, rather than LTE. One image posted to Reddit shows the logo's usage, with user "JrB11784" noting they found the odd appearance using the AT&T network in Seattle, instead of the expected LTE text in the space.

AppleInsider is attempting to verify the logo appears on an AT&T iPhone running the second iOS 12.2 beta, released by Apple earlier today.

An AT&T spokesperson told AppleInsider, "Today, some iPhone and iPad users could start seeing our 5G Evolution indicator on their devices. The indicator simply helps customers know when they are in an area where the 5G Evolution experience may be available."

It was discovered in early January that AT&T was promoting its "5G Evolution" technology by adding the logo to some Samsung and LG smartphones running on the network. This is the first known instance of the logo being used in iOS, with its inclusion likely by request from AT&T.

For AT&T, the "5G Evolution" technology actually refers to existing 4G (LTE-A) technology improvements that it has rolled out in hundreds of markets. While AT&T is slowly rolling out a genuine 5G network, it isn't usable by smartphones at all, but can be used by the Netgear Nighthawk Mobile 5G Hotspot.

AT&T was attacked on social media and in marketing efforts by its rivals in using the connectivity icon, with claims it was misleading customers. Critics suggested the logo may confuse customers who may believe they are connected to a 5G network, when in fact they are not, and may not even be able to connect to a genuine 5G network using the device in the first place.

mplsp

Is this ios? I thought phones started displaying ‘5G E’ as soon as AT&T started the whole charade a couple weeks ago. Since the term 5G E didn’t exist until AT&T made it up, I assumed it was pushed out by the carrier, not the phone OS.

gutengel

ATT can't even maintain a reliable 4G service connection in NYC and they come with this BS?

mike wuerthele

MplsP said:

Is this ios? I thought phones started displaying ‘5G E’ as soon as AT&T started the whole charade a couple weeks ago. Since the term 5G E didn’t exist until AT&T made it up, I assumed it was pushed out by the carrier, not the phone OS.

Nope, just with this beta, and the accordant carrier-related data. It was inevitable, though.

misterkit

I remember the 4G on AT&T iPhone 4s. It was kind of an embellished 3g prior to 4G LTE. It was faster than 3g, but not real 4G LTE. Maybe they are doing something to squeeze a little more from LTE while bringing out 5G.

dhawkins541

Ok, so this may not be popular opinion, but I honestly wish the only thing I had to stress about was an icon on my phones screen. I don't see the big deal with the change. On the other hand though I do wish they'd pull their heads out and cover areas where people other than just myself need coverage and currently they don't do so. 

entropys

dhawkins541 said:

Ok, so this may not be popular opinion, but I honestly wish the only thing I had to stress about was an icon on my phones screen. I don't see the big deal with the change. On the other hand though I do wish they'd pull their heads out and cover areas where people other than just myself need coverage and currently they don't do so. 

Well it’s annoying false advertising, ‘cause it ain’t 5G.

newvideoaz

In defense of AT&T — I suspect it’s WAY harder to actually roll out a whole wireless system than it is to roll out a tiny new logo.
/s

theothergeoff

Well, and it's standalone E  ... I'd prefer  '5E' (E is not F or G) or LTEe. or anything but a standalone 'E'


I'll see that and put my phone into airplane mode, and play a podcast

E = 'excruciating' to me.

I'm still travel in parts of America were I occasionally get  'ATT E'  popping up.
(2.75G 'EDGE')   (see: Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution)

Not, LTE.   Not 4G, Not even 3G....   2 point effing 7 5 G. ...  
We're talking  kilobits per second G.

(yeah, max rate 58kbps...  maybe 7Kbytes per second, clear channel, no tower switching)


(and yes, ATT was supposed to retire it 2 years ago, but I still see it pop up in various prairie states as late as last year, as there are a few local cell companies out there providing roaming coverage for ATT).

volcan

I wonder why they moved to signal strength over to the right side of the screen. Where is the battery charge amount now? And why doesn't it say AT&T? It doesn't look like there is enough room on that side of the notch for everything that is supposed to display there, especially if your provider has a longer name.

edited February 2019

macxpress

volcan said:

I wonder why they moved to signal strength over to the right side of the screen. Where is the battery charge amount now?

It's no different than it is now. If you have battery percentage enabled, it doesn't appear until you pull down the control center window. It doesn't just show on the XS. Maybe if you have a XS Max it does as it has a little more screen space, but I know my XS doesn't show the percentage until you pull down the control center window. I would assume the XR is the same way. 

volcan

I have iOS 12.1 on iPhone 6. On the left side it displays signal Strength, Verizon, Wifi symbol and the download spinning icon. On the right I have locations icon, percentage charged and then the battery icon. In the center the time.

edited February 2019

the1maximus

AT&Ts 5Ge is what Verizon and T-Mobile market as LTE Advanced. It’s just an upgraded 4G LTE, that AT&T finally rolled out.

What I’m surprised is that, no one has sued AT&T for falsely adverting something. They are trying to market it as 5G, giving people the impression they are already running 5G same as they did with 4G before LTE was offically active.

emoeller

I think this is a bad idea as it implies that both AT&T and Apple have rolled out and are utilizing 5G technology, when in fact neither is utilizing 5G standards.

seanismorris

Bad marketing by AT&T

This tells me AT&T feels they will be late to the 5G rollout so they’re preemptively creating FUD to confuse consumers.

Well Mr. AT&T my penis is so long it’s measured in furlongs...

wood1208

2G->3G->4G->LTE->LTE A->5G E->5G->10G. Year 2019/20 will be time for Phone manufacturers and Carriers to present 5G in confusing way. Stay away buying phone with 5G and pay for tech which you can't use at places you live/work, until 2021/22 or even later.

edited February 2019

dhawkins541

entropys said:

dhawkins541 said:

Ok, so this may not be popular opinion, but I honestly wish the only thing I had to stress about was an icon on my phones screen. I don't see the big deal with the change. On the other hand though I do wish they'd pull their heads out and cover areas where people other than just myself need coverage and currently they don't do so. 

Well it’s annoying false advertising, ‘cause it ain’t 5G.

Fair, but is it really any worse than the large amount of false or misleading advertising we deal with on a regular basis in America?

outdoorappdeveloper

What ... A ... Scam! Thanks Apple. Great to know you have got our backs. You know the one thing keeping people buying Apple products is trust and that is being frittered away every day.

gatorguy

emoeller said:

I think this is a bad idea as it implies that both AT&T and Apple have rolled out and are utilizing 5G technology, when in fact neither is utilizing 5G standards.

Most people think it's Apple leading the 5G rollout, so no surprise if Apple might use that little misconception as a marketing advantage. 
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/american-consumers-5g-survey-apple/

edited February 2019

macxpress

volcan said:

I have iOS 12.1 on iPhone 6. On the left side it displays signal Strength, Verizon, Wifi symbol and the download spinning icon. On the right I have locations icon, percentage charged and then the battery icon. In the center the time.

Because of the "notch" on the newer phones there isn't as much room to display things in the top bar so some things aren't displayed until you pull down the Control Center page. Your phone has the entire bar to continuously move icons around to fit the bar where as the newer phones do not. 

wocowboy

The iPhone XR does not include 4x4 MIMO that is a lynchpin of AT&T's 5GE scam, it only supports 2x2 MIMO, so it gets less than half the data speed of the higher-priced models.    This capability is among the things you don't get when you buy the XR instead of the XS and XS-Max, both of which include 4x4 MIMO.