What’s the difference between 5G, 5G Plus, 5G UW, and 5G UC?
UC and UW aren't just academic institutions, they're also kinds of 5G. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If you've noticed cryptic new icons popping up on your phone next to the 5G logo, you're not alone. Carriers are expanding their 5G networks in a big way this year, and those little UW" and UC" logos you're suddenly seeing represent the different varieties of 5G you're encountering in the wild. Like Pokemon, but way more confusing.
Isn't 5G just... 5G?Nope. There are low, mid, and high-band varieties of 5G spectrum. They all provide different levels of data speeds, and all major US carriers use all three. Naturally, they also have different names for them. Depending on your carrier, you may see abbreviations pop up next to the 5G symbol on your phone when you're connected to the corresponding network. Here's a quick guide to the...