Telus and Koodo customers are starting to see 5G+ icons on their smartphones.
I first spotted the icon on my Pixel 8 on March 5th while commuting to the MobileSyrup office. My phone showed the 5G+ icon while I was in Hamilton, Ontario, and the icon appeared and disappeared a few times during my train ride to Toronto. I’m currently with Koodo and have one of the Telus flanker brand’s 5G plans.
iPhone in Canada reports that iPhone users on Telus and Koodo are starting to see the 5G+ icon following the iOS 17.4 update. MobileSyrup can confirm iOS 17.4 adds the icon for iPhones, as editor-in-chief Patrick O’Rourke received the 5G+ icon on his iPhone following the update. It’s worth noting previous iOS updates enabled the 5G+ icon for Bell and Rogers iPhones.
Update 07/03/2024 at 9:12am ET: The 5G+ icon is also appearing on Samsung phones on Telus’ network.
This was also added on Samsung phones – below is from my S24 Ultra on Telus: pic.twitter.com/5KdzEsEOMf
— Devin Arthur (@Lexcyn) March 6, 2024
Update 07/03/2024 at 8:37am ET: Telus confirmed to MobileSyrup that the 5G+ icon should appear when Telus or Koodo customers’ phones connect to the company’s 3,500MHz 5G spectrum. Additionally, the company confirmed that customers would still be limited to the speed they get from their plans regardless of the 5G+ icon.
“Customers with compatible Apple or Android devices may see a ‘5G+’ icon appear on their device when they are connected to our network in locations that now use our 3,500 MHz 5G spectrum. While a 5G+ icon may appear from time to time, customers are limited to the available data speeds outlined within their respective mobility plans.”
While technically, that means faster download speeds and bandwidth, it also depends on what plan you have and what speed cap it has. For example, Telus’ plans currently cap speeds at either 250Mbps or 2Gbps, while Koodo caps 5G plans at 250Mbps or 500Mbps if you choose the speed boost perk.
Anecdotally, I didn’t notice much of a speed difference between 5G and 5G+ on my phone, even while hot-spotting my laptop. That said, I also use a Pixel 8, which admittedly doesn’t have the best modem tech and, therefore, might not take full advantage of available speeds. If you’re with Telus or Koodo and are seeing the new 5G+ icon, let us know down below what kind of speeds you’re seeing and whether it’s better than 5G.
Via: iPhone in Canada
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
