Apple's first iOS 18.5 beta has introduced a new localization string that suggests the company is preparing support for "5G Advanced," the next evolution of cellular technology. Specifically, the beta includes a new "status.network.5ga" = "5G Advanced" string, which could point to upcoming system-level support for showing a 5G Advanced label in the iPhone status bar or settings. Joining that string are ones for 5G, 5G+, 5G Evolution (E), 5G Ultra Capacity (UC), 5G Ultra Wideband (UW), LTE, 4G, 3G, Edge (E), and GPRS (G), all supported on iPhone already with their own status bar icons. It hints that Apple is preparing to support 5G Advanced (5G-A) cellular technology based on 3GPP Release 18 standards in a future software or hardware update. What is 5G Advanced?5G Advanced (3GPP Release 18), often described as 5.5G, introduces smarter and more adaptable network capabilities. With support for features like AI-based network optimization, ultra-low latency, and improved location accuracy,...more
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