iOS 16.4 Beta Brings New 5G Connectivity to iPhone 14

Apple's new iOS 16.4 beta unlocks new spectrum for iPhone 14 users on AT&T, bringing substantial improvements in 5G connectivity.

iClarified has discovered that iOS 16.4 provides access to AT&T's recently acquired 3.45GHz 5G spectrum. Users in areas where AT&T has deployed this spectrum will see a significant improvement in speeds as the update effectively doubles mid-band bandwidth. In some areas, AT&T has exclusively deployed this spectrum as their mid-band 5G technology, meaning that customers could see speeds soar overnight, following the update.

Based on initial testing, we are seeing a 2-10X improvement in download speeds.


For context, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have all deployed mid-band 5G across the nation, resulting in better speed and latency performance. On iPhone, when accessing mid-band 5G networks, you'll notice a "5G+, 5GUW, or 5GUC" symbol in the status bar. T-Mobile has the largest deployment of this technology, given their acquisition of Sprint; however, Verizon and AT&T are rapidly catching up.

In January of last year, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others purchased additional 5G 3.45GHz spectrum to deploy across the country. While AT&T initially said they would bring this enhanced connectivity to older devices, including the iPhone 12, they have since walked back those claims and have limited 3.45GHz to iPhone 14. T-Mobile and Dish are expected to eventually deploy this spectrum as well.

iOS 16.4 also expands 5G carrier-aggregation, meaning carriers can bond together different frequencies to significantly boost bandwidth. Additionally, T-Mobile has enabled 5G Stand-Alone on their network. Both enhancements work separately to provide users with improved 5G connectivity.

You can check out some of the other new features in iOS 16.4 beta here:
● What's New in iOS 16.4 Beta


Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more iOS news.