Smartphone shoppers might be slow to notice how Apple Inc.’s new 5G-enabled iPhones improve on the internet connections older models use, but cellphone carriers are working overtime to make them see it.
AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. all used this week’s iPhone unveiling as an opportunity to entice customers who might not yet understand or care about the fifth-generation cellular standard. The four new iPhone models come equipped with the technology, which moves information over the air more quickly and in greater volumes than before.
The ad campaigns are driven by economics as much as technology. Most Americans already own a smartphone or two, so customer additions usually come at a competitor’s expense. The three big mobile network operators started building their 5G networks differently, offering them a rare chance to hawk something unique — even if they can’t yet deliver the speed and consistency the new technology promises.
“The networks are different for the first time,” said Cliff Maldonado, principal analyst at BayStreet Research. “5G is the perfect time to justify switching carriers.”