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5G is the latest and (supposedly) greatest wireless standard.
But is that actually true?
Let’s find out.
The first smartphone with 5G—theSamsung Galaxy S20—was released in March 2020.
Since then, we’ve seen a huge number ofsmartphones and other devices with 5G support.
Faster internet speeds are great, but is it worth it if you use more data in the process?
Related:What Is 5G, and How Fast Is It?
Think of 5G or any other internet connection like the speed limit on a road.
Five cars is five cars, no matter the speed limit.
Related:Do You Really Need Unlimited Data?
The same can be said for 5G.
If you’re downloading a file that’s 1GB, that’s how much data you’re using.
It doesn’t matter if the file downloads in 30 seconds or five minutes.
Faster Speeds Let You Do More
That last statement is the key to this question.
Let’s say you like to watch Netflix on your phone while you’re away from Wi-Fi.
With LTE, you might stream in 720p to avoid buffering.
The faster 5G speeds may allow you to watch in full 1080p without any stuttering.
Streaming 1080p definitely willuse more datathan streaming 720p.
Faster speeds give you a little more freedom.
You might stream music from Spotify at a higher quality.
Browse more webpages while waiting for a train.
Watch more videos in your Facebook feed.
Being able to do more of this stuff is what adds up to using more data.
Related:How to Track Your Data Usage on Android
