Should you use a contemporary iPhone or Android telephone on T-Cellular’s mobile community, there’s likelihood you’ll see the “5G UC” icon on the standing bar as an alternative of “5G.” Right here’s what it tells you about your mobile connection.
5G UC Stands for “5G Extremely Capability”
This icon signifies you’re related to a kind of 5G community, and also you’ll solely see it on iPhones or Android telephones with 5G help. (As of early 2022, solely iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 telephones have 5G help.)
Particularly, this icon is displayed if you’re related to T-Cellular’s “Extremely Capability” 5G community. The icon began appearing on iPhones in mid-September 2021 and now seems on some Android telephones, too.
What Is 5G Extremely Capability?
T-Cellular divides its 5G community into two sorts of 5G. “5G Prolonged Vary” is a kind of 5G that can be roughly as quick as 4G LTE and blankets many of the nation, together with in lots of much less built-up rural areas. “5G Extremely Capability” is the sooner 5G that guarantees greater-than-4G LTE speeds.
To differentiate between the 2, you will notice a 5G UC icon if you’re related to T-Cellular’s higher, sooner 5G community. Whenever you’re related to T-Cellular’s slower “Prolonged Vary” 5G community, you’ll simply see a normal 5G icon.
Technically talking, 5G UC signifies that you simply’re related to both mid-band or millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G. For T-Cellular, you’re probably related to mid-band 5G, as this makes up the majority of T-Cellular’s sooner 5G community. The usual “5G” brand with no UC signifies you’re utilizing low-band 5G.
You possibly can see the place T-Cellular’s 5G UC community is offered on T-Mobile’s Coverage Map website. The map distinguishes between the 2 sorts of 5G, with the 5G UC community coloured darkish magenta.
What About Different Mobile Carriers and Android Telephones?
As of September 2021, the 5G UC brand will solely ever seem on iPhones related to T-Cellular’s community.
Replace: A number of months after its preliminary look on iPhones, the icon is now showing on many Android telephones, too.
Should you’re utilizing an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 (or an iPhone 12 Professional or iPhone 13 Professional), you’ll not see the 5G UC brand when you’re utilizing one other mobile service like AT&T or Verizon.
What Do “5G+,” “5G UW,” and “5G E” Imply?
These aren’t the primary letters we’ve seen added to a 5G brand. Each “5G+ and “5G UW” are just like “5G UC” and point out sooner 5G than the usual low-band networks with lengthy ranges.
The “5G+” standing icon seems when your iPhone is related to AT&T’s 5G millimeter wave community.
The “5G UW” standing icon signifies your iPhone is related to Verizon’s Extremely Wideband 5G community.
There’s additionally 5G E, a advertising and marketing time period AT&T utilized to its older 4G LTE community. 5G E wasn’t actual 5G; that’s the fact. Sprint sued AT&T over the practice again in 2019, accusing the corporate of deceptive prospects.
5G UC, 5G+, and 5G UW all point out good, quick 5G indicators. (That is totally different from 5G E, which was worse than seeing a 5G icon and never 5G in any respect.)
Will These Logos Seem Exterior the USA?
Apple’s official help web site discusses terms like 5G UC, 5G+, and 5G UW with out respect to particular carriers, so you might also see these logos on different mobile carriers exterior the USA. Nonetheless, when you solely ever see a 5G brand, that doesn’t point out you’re essentially utilizing slower low-band 5G. Your mobile service may not be displaying logos like that.