Cellular technologies have upgraded enormously; one of the main developments is the development of 4G technology. It’s a term that you’ve certainly faced in your daily life, but what is 4G? And is Sony Xperia 5 4G enabled? We will answer these and other questions related to Sony Xperia 5 4G technology in the following article.
Does the Sony Xperia 5 have 4G?
Yes. 4G is one of Sony Xperia 5 embedded features.
Checking the availability of 4G on Sony Xperia 5
Nowadays, it is unavoidable to purchase a 4G-enabled device, since most internet users need a good internet connection. To know whether the phone is 4G-enabledor not, you can use multiple means.
An easy method when you hold the device in your hand is just switching on the mobile data, if the Sony Xperia 5 4G data is activated, then you will see an icon at the top of the display, in the status bar. It might be 4G, 4G+, LTE, or LTE+ according to your carrier.
The absence of that icon means that you are not connected to 4G at that particular moment, and it doesn’t always signify that your device doesn’t enable 4G. And that leads us to the second method.
Check your phone criteria on the user guide, or in the device package. If you don’t have any of them, you can still check that on the official site (or any other trustworthy website) using the device name or model number.
Another way is to check the settings: open your settings and search for network mode, usually as follows: Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data Options (or Mobile Data Options). If your phone is 4G-enabled you will find a 4G or an LTE option. If you don’t see 4G or LTE, then your smartphone isn’t 4G-capable.
How to switch to 4G on Sony Xperia 5?
If you want to enable your Sony Xperia 5 4G network, then follow the instructions (it might change a bit from the settings on your own device):
1- From Home screen, tap Apps.
2- From the Apps tab, choose Settings.
3- Tap Network & Internet.
4- Choose Mobile network.
5- Verify that Mobile data is On.
6- Select Advanced.
7- Select Preferred network type.
8- Choose 4G or LTE option.
Note: If you want to turn off 4G then choose an inferior network type (such as 3G) or tap Only 5G if it’s possible.
Learn about 4G technology on Sony Xperia 5
4G describes cellular network technology. It was identified by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and deployed by wireless service providers. To name a system 4G it should meet some criteria.
The ‘G’ in 4G stands for generation, and 4 means the fourth one, following 3G and before 5G. 4G networks have to grant internet speeds much better than 3G, they also present low latency, which is important for some uses such as gaming services.
The most prevalent protocols identified by ITU as a 4G are HSPA+ and LTE. Sony Xperia 5 4G and 4G in most phones today use one or both of them, which makes 4G the fastest most deployed cellular network.
Why is 4G on the Sony Xperia 5 important?
4G has all the features of 3G at more speed. It allows download speeds of around 14 Mbps up to speeds as high as 150 Mbps, five times faster than 3G. And it offers more than ten times the uploading data speeds of 3G, starting from 8Mbps up to 50 Mbps.
Low latency is another feature, it ranges from 60ms to 98 ms, Even though it’s only a few milliseconds lower than 3G, it is very vital for some use cases such as video conferencing or online gaming, and other live interactions.
The development of VoLTE standard added another advantage to 4g network which is the ability to make phone calls and browse the internet at the same time, with even more suitable voice quality. All of these advantages are within your reach with Sony Xperia 5 4G technology.
Get to know 4G bands in the Sony Xperia 5
A 4G band is an interval of frequencies used by cellular carriers. Why this matters to you? It matters because each phone carrier uses different bands corresponding to the area. And not all mobiles support all 4G bands, so you should assure that your Sony Xperia 5 supports the bands offered in your area.
It’s hard to regularize the bands on a global scale, because each government uses different bands for different radio transactions aside from 4g (such as aeronautics and radio broadcasts). Despite this, the ITU sectioned the world into 3 regions and bands for each region.
The Sony Xperia 54G-enabled bands are:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66;.
Answered questions about Sony Xperia 5 4G Technology
How to know if 4G coverage is attainable in my area?
Before choosing your mobile operator you need to make sure it has 4G coverage in your zone. The easiest way to do so is by calling them and asking. Another method is to check their official website or any dependable coverage map website.
Why I’m not connected to 4G although the settings are right?
If you have a phone that supports 4G, and you don’t have a 4G connection, the reason might be that you didn’t activate a 4G plan. Check your internet operator plans, or call them to activate it. If they don’t have a 4G plan, then you might need to change your mobile provider.
What is 4G LTE?
4G LTE is a word used interchangeably with 4G and LTE, which deceives users. technically speaking, LTE is different than 4G. LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution”, a communication standard that evolved from 3G but is still not as fast as 4G. However, some companies promote it as 4G.
The difference between 4G and LTE became more ambiguous when LTE-A (LTE – Advanced) appeared. LTE-A has almost the same speed as 4G technology.
What’s the difference between GSM, CDMA, and 4G LTE?
Before the arrival of 4G LTE, the most supported standards were GSM (2G/3G) and CDMA (2G/3G). GSM is an abbreviation of “Global System for Mobile communication” and as its name suggests, it’s a standard that is used globally by most mobile operators.
CDMA on the other hand stands for “Code-Division Multiple Access”, don’t get concerned by the name it’s just another standard. what you need to comprehend about it is that it’s less common than GSM, and CDMA devices are often locked to a single carrier and can’t be transferred.
When considering getting either a GSM or CDMA phone, you should consider the carrier coverage in your area. Some operators support only GSM and others support only CDMA.
You must also consider whether you need roaming or not, if you move a lot then CDMA might be a hurdle. Not to mention that the perfect option is a phone that is compatible with both.
4G network didn’t support voice calls when it was first launched, so it was dependent on GSM and CDMA standards, but with the development of VoLTE standard it became independent, so you don’t have to concern a lot about GSM/CDMA.
Will 4G phones stop working?
2G and 3G networks are being withdrawn around the world because 4G is everywhere and has all the previous generations’ features at better speeds. So it is a legitimate question to ask if the emergence of 5G networks will provoke the shutdown of 4G.
The short answer to that is: No. Your Sony Xperia 5 4G technology will stay valuable for a few more years.
4G Networks will stay on hand for at least a decade or two, depending on the area and other factors. As things were for earlier generations, 4G and 5G will coexist and stay running together, meaning phones supporting 5G will support 4G too as a fallback.
Is 4G still worth it these days?
Yes, it is. Although the high speeds of 5G, 4G is still acceptable and provides sufficient speed for most of the use cases. 4G network is wider than 5G, meaning you can use it almost all around the world. Another advantage of 4G is cost-effectiveness. Because 5G is still too expensive to be a reliable alternative.