iOS 16.4 could bring 3Gbps download speeds over 5G to the iPhone

The iPhone could start getting much faster download speeds…if you update to iOS 16.4, have T-Mobile, and have an iPhone 14 model.

Today, Apple rolled out the first developer beta of iOS 16.4. As reported by 9to5Mac, the outlet found that, within the Cellular Settings of the new beta, there is a new option to enable the 5G Standalone (SA) service offered by T-Mobile which offers download speeds up to 3Gbps.

Among the new features and changes with the first developer beta of iOS 16.4, a new toggle has arrived in the Cellular settings for iPhone. The new option brings support for the 5G Standalone (SA) service offered by T-Mobile. Notably, 5G SA can deliver wildly fast speeds up to 3Gbps and it looks like iPhone could be the next device to take advantage of the tech.

The outlet notes that 5G SA has actually been available since November 2022, but select Samsung flagship phones are so far the only devices that have been able to take advantage of the feature.

T-Mobile officially launched its 5G SA network in November last year, touting speeds up to 3Gbps. However, only flagship Samsung smartphones were able to take advantage of the latest network advancement at first with T-Mobile saying that it would “expand to additional devices in the near future.”

According to the report, the option in the Cellular Settings is turned on by default in the iOS 16.4 beta, indicating that compatible iPhones will be able to benefit from the technology as soon as a phone is updated to the new software version. The report also notes that T-Mobile is able to reach 3Gbps download speeds over 5G by “merging multiple channels of mid-band 5G spectrum” and that it appears that only iPhone 14 models may be able to take advantage of the technology due to having the necessary hardware.

It’s currently unclear when iOS 16.4 will roll out to the public but, when it does, we’ll hopefully see a speed boost in select areas where the technology is being deployed.