Can provide significantly better battery life when it does
Today, none of the Swedish mobile operators offer 5G for the Apple Watch, even though it was one of the main numbers when Apple presented the new generation of smart watches in September. We have asked the operators when 5G for smartwatches can be launched.
Mobile phones have had 5G for a long time, but when Apple launched the new Apple Watch in mid-September, it was with 5G. They said back then that the 5G support is only in place with selected operators and not in all countries, but a couple of operators already offer the technology, for example several operators in the US.
The technology used in the Apple Watch is called Redcap 5G. In a smart watch, low-power connection is valued above all because the battery is so limited, unlike mobile phones where speed and response time are more important. This is exactly what Redcap 5G handles, because redcap stands for reduced capability, or in Swedish reduced ability, then with low power consumption instead of speed and response time as the main advantage.
Technically, Redcap 5G requires an advanced form of 5G called 5G Standalone and works completely in the 5G network without, as the alternative, 5G Non-Standalone works with the support of 4G. It is therefore only when you connect with 5G Standalone that you can fully benefit from the more efficient, low-power connection that 5G can offer. And none of the Swedish operators are there today.
This is the message from the operators
Mobil has asked all the Swedish operators about their timetable for when Redcap 5G and 5G Standalone, which is a prerequisite for Redcap 5G, can be available to the companies’ customers.
Telia: The work is underway
We learn from Telia and press manager Roija Rafii that their work is underway. She says that Telia has the technical capabilities for advanced 5G, so-called 5G Stand Alone (SA), within their innovation program NorthStar, which they run together with Ericsson. There, the technology is tested among both companies and public activities.
– We are in the process of implementing 5G SA in our public 5G network. When it is ready, we will be able to offer this to all our customers, but we will have to come back to the exact timetable. Our assessment, similar to that of the industry, is to first implement 5G SA and then further develop the technology, where functions such as RedCap become relevant, she says.
Three: Launch is a bit ahead of time
At Tre, press officer Caroline Carlsson says that Tre already has advanced 5G today, i.e. 5G Standalone at 3 Arena in Stockholm.
– Offering Redcap 5G for Apple Watch is a bit ahead of time. The technology in the watch is 5G Stand Alone, which is not available everywhere yet. Three are at the top in terms of mediated 5G traffic and have population coverage for 5G of 80 percent. As for 5G SA, it is available at 3 Arena in Stockholm, and the arena is the only one in Sweden that has 5G SA so far.
Tele2 and Telenor: Awaiting developments
From Tele2 and Telenor, who both share networks, we get two similar answers. Tele2 and their communications manager Mariana Prieto Abarca say that the technology is not supported in their network today and that “we will have to look ahead if it becomes relevant to offer it”.
Similar tones come from Telenor where press manager Naod Abera says that “Telenor is following the development of RedCap and 5G support in wearables such as the Apple Watch. It is in our plans going forward, but we do not yet have a timetable to communicate.”
5G in smart watches: Up to two weeks of connected battery life
Ericsson is of course one of those who have worked for a long time with 5G technology, together with the operators, among others. Apart from faster data speeds and more or less immediate response time without delays, 5G is about being able to connect many more devices. Above all, for wearable devices such as watches, 5G has the potential to radically improve battery life. In one Ericsson report from 2021 mentions, for example, that a smart watch with redcap 5G must be able to have a battery life of at least several days and up to two weeks with continuous connection.
For Apple, it is the latest generation of watches, i.e. Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 that have the support for Redcap 5G ready once the operators make it available.
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