08 July 2023 , 08:54
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Is your smartphone suffering from dire battery life that means you don't get through a day without needing to top things up? There could be a very simple explanation. New research from the speed experts at Ookla has revealed the vast difference between phones connected to the older 4G data network and much faster 5G speeds.
According to Ookla's tests, phones linked up to speedy 5G run out way more quickly than those using 4G. The difference can be pretty extreme depending on the device and what processor is tucked inside.
"Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data shows that smartphone users accessing 5G networks experience higher battery drain than for those using 4G-LTE, of between 6% and 11%, depending on the System on Chip (SoC) in their device," the firm said in a blog post.
For example, a Galaxy phone with Samsung's Exynos 2100 chip inside uses 8% more battery when downloading files and films over 5G.
The latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is found in almost all modern Android flagships, runs out 6% faster and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 drops its battery 9% quicker.
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That's pretty bad but spare a thought for those with a Tensor-powered Pixel in their pocket. Google's original chip loses 11% more juice when accessing the 5G network rather than slower 4G.
It's clearly an irritating quirk of that new technology but some devices and networks will let you turn off 5G in the settings which might be worth considering if you find you are running low on battery.
Ookla speed test (OOKLA)This can be found under Settings, Network and SIMs. Here you'll find the Preferred Network option and the ability to switch things to standard LTE rather than 5G.
So what is 5G and why does it eat more battery?
5G launched back in 2020 and is the next generation of mobile technology which can not only supply faster speeds (over 300Mbps) but also cope with more devices connected to it at the same time.
That means those at busy football stadiums or people-packed stations should still get decent speeds - that's not something 4G provides.
The reason that 5G can hurt power is due to the way 5G is sometimes used. Some networks still use 4G for calls and texts but 5G for data downloads which can mean your device is constantly trying to connect to multiple networks.
As Samsung explains "Because your phone is connected to multiple networks simultaneously, the battery will drain faster than one would typically expect, and the phone may get warmer than when solely on 3G or LTE."