As advanced as our smartphones are these days, they’re just as reliant on batteries as they’ve always been. If your battery goes dead, there’s not much you can do with that shiny, state-of-the-art device. If you’ve picked up a new iPhone or Android device lately, there might be one particular feature that’s a battery hog.
You see, many new phones are 5G-ready, which means they can connect to the fastest speeds possible (thanks to the aforementioned 5G networks). These networks are rolling out more and more across all carriers, so the chance your phone is trying (and succeeding) at connecting to 5G is pretty high.
Unfortunately, 5G demands a lot more battery than 4G, especially mmWave, the faster spectrum of 5G. If your phone has a smaller battery, like the iPhone 12 or 12 mini, 5G might take a noticeable toll, and you might see less battery life than you normally would in similar conditions.
You can usually turn off 5G in your phone’s Cellular or Network & Internet settings. If you’re having trouble finding it, try searching for “5G” in your phone’s settings app.
