PSA: Here’s why you might see a new ‘5G UC’ icon in your iPhone status bar

After the release of iOS 15 a week ago, 5G users have gotten another update. It’s excellent news for iPhone 12 or newer owners who have a T-Mobile plan, but it’s also quite perplexing if you notice a new “5G UC” indicator on your iPhone status bar.

Neville Ray, T-head Mobile’s of technology, claims that users of the company may now occasionally notice “5G UC,” which denotes that they are in an area with “Ultra Capacity 5G” and fast speeds. This was revealed during Apple’s iPhone 13 announcement, but it was overlooked.

All iPhone 12 models already have this capability, and more handsets will get it “via a software update in the future,” according to T-support Mobile’s Twitter page.

The “unadorned” 5G icon indicates that you are connected to T-low-band Mobile’s networks, or its “5G Extended Range” network, which is a slower network that covers a larger area, according to The Verge. The “5G UC” icon indicates that the customer is connected to T-mid-band Mobile’s network or its high-band mmWaw network.

The article points out that T-Mobile is not the only provider to advocate various 5Gs:

While having another 5G brand standard is perplexing, it has been done before. When it began deploying such networks years ago, Verizon made a distinction between its low-band 5G (also known as “5G”) and its mmWave coverage (“5G UW,” or ultra-wideband). Similar terminology is used by AT&T, which calls their mmWave networks “5G Plus” while referring to low-band 5G as “5G.”

Do you currently use iOS 15? Did your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 include this new “5G UC” feature? Please share with us in the comments area below.

5G UC Stands for “5G Ultra Capacity”

Only iPhones or Android phones that support 5G will show you this icon, which denotes that you are connecting to a certain sort of 5G network. (Only the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 phones will enable 5G as of early 2022.)

This emblem appears specifically when you are linked to T-“Ultra Mobile’s Capacity” 5G network. Around the middle of September 2021, the symbol first appeared on iPhones; it is currently present on certain Android phones as well.

What Is 5G Ultra Capacity?

Contrary to popular belief, 5G is more complex and comes in a variety of speeds.

Two different forms of 5G are used in T-5G Mobile’s network. “5G Extended Range” is a version of 5G that will cover much of the nation, including many less developed rural regions, and be about as fast as 4G LTE. The speedier 5G, or “5G Ultra Capacity,” guarantees speeds quicker than those of 4G LTE.

When you are connected to T-superior, Mobile’s faster 5G network, you will see a 5G UC symbol to help you distinguish between the two. You will only see a normal 5G indicator when you are linked to T-slower Mobile’s “Extended Range” 5G network.

In a technical sense, 5G UC signifies that you are linked to either a millimeter wave (mmWave) or mid-band 5G. As mid-band 5G makes up the majority of T-speedier Mobile’s 5G network, you are probably linked to this type of network. If there is no UC present, the usual “5G” logo denotes low-band 5G.

The webpage for T-coverage Mobile’s map shows where the 5G UC network is accessible. The 5G UC network is indicated on the map with a dark magenta hue, which distinguishes between the two forms of 5G.

What Do “5G+,” “5G UW,” and “5G E” Mean?

We have already seen letters applied to a 5G logo. Similar to “5G UC,” “5G+” and “5G UW” both denote faster 5G than the common low-band networks with extended ranges.

When your iPhone is linked to AT&T’s 5G millimeter wave network, the “5G+” status icon displays.

Your iPhone is connected to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G network when it displays the “5G UW” status icon.

Moreover, there is 5G E, a marketing term used by AT&T to describe its previous 4G LTE network. The truth is that 5G E wasn’t the actual 5G. In a lawsuit filed in 2019 over the practice, Sprint charged AT&T with deceiving its consumers.

The three 5G UC, 5G+, and 5G UW transmissions are strong, swift 5G signals. This isn’t like 5G E, which was equivalent to seeing a 5G indicator but not having 5G.

Will These Logos Appear Outside the USA?

You could also see similar emblems on other cellular carriers outside of the United States as Apple’s official support page covers words like 5G UC, 5G+, and 5G UW without regard to individual carriers. Nevertheless, it is not a guarantee that you are utilizing slower low-band 5G if all you ever see is the 5G logo. Your cellular provider may be just not showing those logos.