5G is already here. In September 2020, Telefónica launched its 5G network in Spain, and since then, all Movistar mobile rates are compatible with both the 4G network and the new 5G network. In other words, if your phone is compatible with 5G , you can already enjoy this technology. More speed and less latency , among other advantages. Or what is the same, download video in seconds and play online without problems.
The only requirements to access Movistar’s 5G is to have a compatible phone , be it iPhone 12 or higher or Android from different manufacturers, such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung or OPPO, among others. That and contracting a 5G mobile data plan , like all the plans offered by Movistar.
From here, accessing the 5G network is very simple, so you hardly have to configure your phone to enjoy more speed when accessing the Internet from your smartphone. We explain how to do it on iOS and Android and how to know if you are using a 5G network .
Configure your iPhone to use the 5G network
Apple brand smartphones are compatible with the 5G network on iPhone 12 models onwards . That is, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and the models that go on the market in the future.
To find out if you are connected to a 5G network, your iPhone will show you an icon in the iPhone status bar . It is at the top of the screen and it is the same one where you see the level of coverage, the battery percentage or the time. There are up to three different icons. The first is 5G and indicates that you are using 5G. If you see the 5G+ icon , even better. It means that you have 5G coverage at its highest frequency. Instead, you can also see the 5G UW icon , which means the same thing.
If you don’t see the 5G icon, you can try disconnecting from the 5G network and reconnecting to it. It’s as simple as turning on Airplane Mode on your iPhone and turning it off.
By default, you don’t need to change anything on your iPhone to access Movistar’s 5G. But Apple recommends certain options to save battery . First of all, from Settings> Mobile data> Options> Voice and data you can choose between three options.
With 5G activated you will always use the 5G network when it is available. However, this will shorten the battery life. If you opt for automatic 5G , you will use the 5G network when it is available. But if the 5G connection is not optimal or your battery is low, it will switch to 4G. Finally, the LTE option will dispense with the 5G network and use the previous technology.
Data mode, an interesting option on Iphone
Another interesting option to configure your iPhone phone is Data Mode . It is designed for those who have contracted a Movistar mobile rate with a data limit . Thus, if you activate the option Reduced data mode in Settings> Cellular data> Options> Data mode , your iPhone will limit the use of the 5G network to important tasks, to save mobile data.
If your data plan is more extensive, you can opt for the Standard option , which allows you to perform tasks in the background with mobile data. It also adjusts the video quality if you make a video call or watch video online. And if your mobile data plan is unlimited , then you can go for the more generous option, Allow more data on 5G . So you will enjoy all the advantages of 5G on your iPhone: video and audio in high definition, video calls in high resolution…
Set up your Android phone to access 5G
If your smartphone or smartphone uses Android as the operating system, the requirements to use 5G are the same. First, that your phone is compatible . Second, have contracted a 5G mobile data plan , such as those offered by Movistar .
Once we meet these three requirements, and we have 5G coverage wherever we are, we can now activate access to the 5G network on Android. To do this, you will have to go to Settings> Networks and Internet> Mobile network . There you will find the Preferred network type option .
By default, you will have the 5G network activated on your Android phone. Although depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer of the phone, you may find some variation in these options. In principle, in Android 11 you can choose which network to use by default. If you have checked 5G, that will be the priority, and if the coverage is not good, it will change to 4G or LTE .
If you have a limited mobile data plan , in the same Mobile network menu you will find the Data limit and warning option . There you can configure a warning not to exceed the contracted mobile data.
In case of using an Android phone with two SIM cards , the first card will be the one that accesses the 5G network . While the second SIM will do it through the 4G and previous networks . In the Mobile network menu that we saw before, you can configure which SIM card will be the default.
Finding an Android phone with 5G
To end. If you still do not have a compatible mobile phone with which to access 5G , you can find several models from different manufacturers on the market. In this link you will find some of them for all budgets. You will also find a list of 5G smartphones at this other link .
And remember that on the official Movistar website you can buy mobile phones compatible with the 5G network. You just have to filter by Mobiles and devices and then, in the filter bar, click on 5G . You will see a list of mobile phones compatible with 5G of different ranges and that you can buy or reserve at once or through monthly installments, little by little.
