Very OT: 4G vs 5G vs who cares?

But once you get the latest COVID vaccine it will of course have 5G implanted, we’ll all be onboard.
I'm just not sure, do we need a 5G iPhone if we're already vaccinated?
In all seriousness it will be fast, assuming you country, district is rolling it out.
 
Well, didn't expect a debate about timelines, but that's cool. Good discussion.
I still do not need or want 5G. If I am forced into it, of course I will.
 
First, the timeline is NOT written in stone. Guess you can predict when fossil fuel will go away? OK yeah I can, so what?
You cannot because $$$$ controls everything and the transition away from 4G or 5G smartphones will be slow, not fast. Too much $$$ tied up.
Not trying to argue, just a fact that it's all about the $$$$. Cellular is a mega business, as you know. They will not die easily.
I agree they will go away. I just do not think it's just around the corner. Always a market for the folks who use their phones as phones.
Of course it's about $$$, which is why I think that people will run, not walk, away from cellular.
I use my phone as a phone all the time - over the internet, not over cellular. You are failing to see that phone calls will cease to rely on cellular. OK look at it this way. The cell tower of the future is a cube sat. Get it, now?

If you do any research you will find that the current beta system requires a little phased array antenna and router for a base station. How long do you think it will take for that to be reduced to the size of a phone? How long do you think it will take for Tesla/SpaceX/Starlink to reduce that footprint and increase battery density to blast duration and portability through the roof?

I really don't think people realize how disruptive and innovative Elon and his companies are. They have the money and resources to blow through old $$$$ companies and concerns. Cellular is dead man walking the green mile.

I'm not saying Verizon, ATT, Sprint and TMobile are going to be out of business in 5 years. It'll take 3 times that for them to start to run out of capital, merger a few times, go on life support, steal some taxpayer dollars, try to compete, before ultimately dying.

I've made my predictions. Just you watch and see.
 
Last edited:
But once you get the latest COVID vaccine it will of course have 5G implanted, we’ll all be onboard.
I'm just not sure, do we need a 5G iPhone if we're already vaccinated?
In all seriousness it will be fast, assuming you country, district is rolling it out.
Not if you wear your tin foil hat.
 
Or you can be like me and many, many others. Use your phone like a, well, phone. Use your computers and tablets like computers and tablets. I guess it depends on the person. Same as anything else in the world we live in.
Not saying you should not use the device the way you want - by all means do. My point was many people (I know this from having worked in this arena) are not happy about the high price of data plans but are also sometimes not well educated about how they can use much less data with little compromise in terms of how the device is used.
 
Starlink is not a competitor for 5G. You need a stationary satellite dish with a clear view of the sky to use it.
 
I live in Phoenix.
When it's eleventy-eleven degrees (i.e., 121) out, remote start to get the a/c going before you get in the rolling furnace is nice....
Sorry for your luck, I am a little on the redneck side here in Tropical Florida I park in the shade and leave the windows down(nobody would steal my junk truck)
 
Not saying you should not use the device the way you want - by all means do. My point was many people (I know this from having worked in this arena) are not happy about the high price of data plans but are also sometimes not well educated about how they can use much less data with little compromise in terms of how the device is used.

When you said high prices, i knew you were also canadian.
 
Starlink is not a competitor for 5G. You need a stationary satellite dish with a clear view of the sky to use it.
Dude, you're not paying attention. How long will it take to reduce the size of that to the size of, say, a Netgear M1 hotspot and the signal strength requirement to be reduced to indoor levels? Not long at all.
 
Dude, you're not paying attention. How long will it take to reduce the size of that to the size of, say, a Netgear M1 hotspot and the signal strength requirement to be reduced to indoor levels?

Unless they reposition the constellation to tree top level, probably never 😀. Even then, a phone that doesn’t work under a beach umbrella wouldn’t be of much use. Starlink simply isn’t intended for mobile comms.
 
Unless they reposition the constellation to tree top level, probably never 😀. Even then, a phone that doesn’t work under a beach umbrella wouldn’t be of much use. Starlink simply isn’t intended for mobile comms.
I'm probably ignorant, but I thought the main point of Starlink was to provide some service to poorly covered regions, and it's fast in contrast to no service, but not actually fast. But maybe I'm wrong. I'm on the list to be notified when it's available in my area, just 'cause, we'll see.
 
I'm probably ignorant, but I thought the main point of Starlink was to provide some service to poorly covered regions, and it's fast in contrast to no service, but not actually fast. But maybe I'm wrong. I'm on the list to be notified when it's available in my area, just 'cause, we'll see.

Starlink is intended to bring broadband low-latency internet access to stationary customers who are currently poorly served. For example homes in rural areas. Starlink would be unsuitable for providing voice and data access to mobile devices, and there are no plans to use it for that purpose.
 
Not saying you should not use the device the way you want - by all means do. My point was many people (I know this from having worked in this arena) are not happy about the high price of data plans but are also sometimes not well educated about how they can use much less data with little compromise in terms of how the device is used.
I know what you meant, no problems. But, everyone keeps avoiding the point that I am NO alone in NOT using my phone like a PC. I do NOT need a data plan is what I mean. This is why I am switching to xfinity, $16.70 TOTAL a month and they use verizons network. I pay Verizon way too much for what I do.
 
Dude, you're not paying attention. How long will it take to reduce the size of that to the size of, say, a Netgear M1 hotspot and the signal strength requirement to be reduced to indoor levels? Not long at all.

Nope. Do you know when the 1st electric car was viable? So how come we all do not have electric cars? It's been at least 20++ years since the first hybrid.
Just saying that much of a massive change takes time. Not here to argue at all. Just believe it takes a lot more time due to the big $$$$$.
But we will see. I am all for technology. I am a tech nerd. Have been since the 80's. Just not a phone tech nerd...:)
 
5G only makes any sense if you live in a dense city and frequent areas where your carrier already has ultrawideband coverage. That coverage does not penetrate walls, so the station needs to be within line of sight to make any difference. You're likely to encounter such things in e.g. stadiums and other places where tens of thousands of phones are likely to overload a "regular" base station. None of which are even remotely an option today. Heck, it doesn't even penetrate the skin, that's how high the frequency is.
 
I live in Phoenix.
When it's eleventy-eleven degrees (i.e., 121) out, remote start to get the a/c going before you get in the rolling furnace is nice....

If its that hot that you need AC to survive, isn't that nature's way of telling you you shouldn't be living there? 🤔

I am the opposite. The "dial a number and talk to someone" app in my Droid is nearly the least-used app in the device....

People still call and talk to each other? :oops:

Lots of people use way more data than they have to - waiting till you get to wifi for pix and vids, turning off non-essential apps from using cell, and pre-downloading music can bring usage waay down to a trickle. without much effort.

Yeah, data is for limited traffic like whatsapp or checking your email. Wifi is for anything data intensive like playing media. And why I prefer to have phones with lots of storage space and the ability to insert SD cards so I can store as much music on my phone as possible. Which is why I don't bother with Spotify or Apple phones.

Or you can be like me and many, many others. Use your phone like a, well, phone. Use your computers and tablets like computers and tablets. I guess it depends on the person. Same as anything else in the world we live in.

I like using things like whatsapp, which is probably the primary means of communicating for most people. Did you know that when the Turkish army tried to overthrow its president Erdogan they used whatsapp to coordinate their attempt? Which is probably not a ringing endorsement as they obviously failed. But when I use my phone I can only talk to 1 person. With whatsapp I can communicate with whole groups. The only persons I still call are companies and my grandmother, as she's 94 and refuses to have anything to do with the internet.

First, the timeline is NOT written in stone. Guess you can predict when fossil fuel will go away?

I reckon fossil fuel will go away once we stop wasting time and money on wind and solar and finally realize that if you want a lot of power that is both reliable, emission free and which doesn't cover half of the planet in windmills and solar panels nuclear will be your best bet. But I reckon it will take several decades and a lot of wasted resources for people to come to their senses and until then fossil fuel will continue to remain here to pick up the slack.

Nope. Do you know when the 1st electric car was viable? So how come we all do not have electric cars? It's been at least 20++ years since the first hybrid.
Well, you have to be able to charge those electric cars. Which means you got to invest into a network of charging stations. And then you have to invest in expanding your electrical network to be able to cope with the increased power demand of all those electrical cars. Because you're shifting demand from gas stations to the electrical grid. And you have to invest in additional power stations to provide that additional demand. Which is why I think if we were to all switch overnight to electrical cars society would collapse together with the power grid. As a by product I suspect that going all electrical cars only will force us to keep the fossil fuel electrical plants in service way longer and the production of electrical car batteries will be very detrimental for the environment as well. So it won't be as green as people think it will be.

I know what you meant, no problems. But, everyone keeps avoiding the point that I am NO alone in NOT using my phone like a PC. I do NOT need a data plan is what I mean. This is why I am switching to xfinity, $16.70 TOTAL a month and they use verizons network. I pay Verizon way too much for what I do.

Funny thing is I pay €10,50 a month, INCLUDING 2 gigs data. Which is more then enough for me to use whatsapp and do some light internet.
 
"whatsapp"? Really? Good thing you know all the answers. We'd be lost ortherwise. Plus you know "everyone"...That in itself is amazing!
 
Hi Stratman68,

First post! I have had Xfinity Mobile for the past year or so and I'm very happy with it. I'm still on the 4G plan which is ~$14.xx net / month here in Northern California. They have been trying to push the 5G plan but I don't have and I'm not interested in upgrading to a 5G capable phone. Do they not have the option to sign up for the 4G plan anymore?
 
Back
Top Bottom