With the launch of the iPhone 12 series, Apple has officially introduced a new mobile communications standard. All four devices have 5G support. However, the new standard significantly reduces battery life.
Yesterday the first reviews of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro devices. The design, the camera and more were discussed - including the brand new 5G support. Now, however, a new report by Tom's Guide examines the impact of 5G usage on battery life. The report highlights a test in which the iPhone continuously browses the web at a screen brightness of 150 nits, launching a new page every 30 seconds until the battery runs out.
iPhone 12 5G support: 5G Android devices are ahead
Interestingly, the test was conducted on an iPhone 12 and 12 Pro over both 4G and 5G. Using 5G, the iPhone 12 lasted just eight hours and 25 minutes while the iPhone 12 Pro lasted nine hours and six minutes. When using 4G, the devices lasted ten hours and 23 minutes and 11 hours and 24 minutes, respectively. This means that the new models' battery life drains about 20 percent faster when 5G is used in this artificial benchmark. The same test - on the iPhone 11 in 2019 - produced a result of 11 hours and 16 minutes over 4G while the iPhone 11 Pro achieved ten hours and 24 minutes. Compared to 5G Android devices, the iPhone 12 lags - according to Tom's Guide.
iPhone 12 5G support: “Smart Data Mode” controls 5G
Compared to the Android competition, Apple's new phones are a step behind the devices on our list of best phone battery life, especially over 5G networks.
Although 5G requires significantly more battery, Apple has increased the overall battery capacity of its devices this year reducedVarious testers suspect that the true extent to which 5G usage affects battery life was probably unknown. The current results could be the reason why Apple has integrated a so-called “Smart Data Mode.” This can automatically switch between 5G and LTE (4G). If 5G is not needed, the system automatically deactivates the standard and reactivates it when needed. The following scenario was cited as a case study. For example, if music is streamed with the screen off, Smart Data Mode deactivates 5G and prefers 4G instead. Users can of course also manually deactivate 5G and use only LTE (4G). So if that's not your cup of tea, you can at least save battery life in this respect. (Image: Apple)
