Yousuf Rafi
It has been more than a decade now. However, I still remember the day I bought my first mobile app/phone. There was nothing much to be proud of.
I was able to make a call, send a message, and see who called me. Using the Internet was my concern.
I was happy that I was able to connect with my friends right from my bed, which was somewhat cool back then.
However, today, if you ask me to use a mobile app/phone with slow internet, I might not talk to you again.
I want fast-loading websites. I want information to travel at the speed of light.
Not hours, minutes, but seconds.
Up till now, 4G was doing a good job.
However, since technology is evolving every minute, I am eager to experience the blazing speed 5G has to offer.
I am sure the feeling is mutual. It is not just me; you too are longing for a 5G smartphone.
If you are like my uncle who is still using a feature phone, you might not have heard of 5G.
5G will impact health, education, and businesses radically. And when you talk about businesses mobile app development companies are one of them. The cost of mobile app development is increasing every day.
The path-breaking technology will not just impact businesses, but people from all walks of life will adopt this technology fast. As per Statista by the year 2024, there will be 1.8 billion global subscribers with 5G-enabled smartphones in their pockets.
Before you go all crazy, let’s first discuss the benefits of 5G.
The fifth-generation mobile network is presumably 1,000 faster than a 4G network. The 5G mobile phones will use a high-frequency bandwidth called ‘Millimeter’ which will enable data to travel fast.
Why is everyone excited about using 5G technology?
Let’s drill it down to some core advantages of using 5G:
- While 4G mobile phones transfer data at a speed of 20Mpbs – a 5G smartphone will transmit data at a rate of 10-500Gbps.
- Streaming 4k HDR movies uninterrupted.
- 5G will promise uninterrupted connectivity across the globe.
- 5G technology is capable of bringing together all networks on one platform.
Let’s now talk about how 5G will impact mobile app development all over the world.
Before developing a mobile app, there are certain things that every mobile app developer must consider — first, the mobile app development platform. A successful mobile app will operate seamlessly on every device. Rest with the 5G launch around the corner; developers are now thinking of changing their optimization strategies to take full advantage of 5G.
If you are willing to develop mobile apps for 5G here are a few things that you must consider at all costs:
Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
App developers have much room to create attractive, attention-grabbing, and out-of-the-world interfaces with the help of enhanced mobile broadband. With eMBB, there is room to experiment with AR, VR, UltraHD and even 360 video streaming.
These advanced technologies can aid in creating exotic mobile experiences that can entice customers and decrease the app abandonment rate.
Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC)
One revolutionary feature of a 5G smartphone will be that data will be shared among devices in real-time. Due to ultra-low latency communication, you’ll be able to transfer data in real-time even when you’re traveling in a vehicle or doing surgery in real-time.
Imagine you are driving and come across a red light. When the light goes green, logically, it’s an indication to accelerate, but just when you are about to hit the gas, you see a car running a red light on your right side.
Now, the human mind can take time to decide whether to speed up or hit the brakes to avoid a collision. But if you’re traveling in a self-driven vehicle that leverages 5G, it will instantly stop by sensing the 5G signal in the other car.
5G mobile technology will give app developers the freedom to create enhanced user experiences by building features that were once a dream due to transfer rate limitations. Moreover, the best part is that 5G will decrease the download time of the app, regardless of its size.
Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC)
With 5G we can have a more connected society. You know Machine Type Communication (MTC) is simply communication between one device with another without the interference of a human.
5G networks deal will Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) and mIoT traffic. This will have a huge impact on our individual and collective lives with the following applications.
- 5G-enabled health bands will instant intimate health services to send an ambulance to either a patient at home or someone who’s met a life-threatening accident.
- Farmers will be able to monitor and track their crops, machinery, and livestock via automated drones.
- Streaming your favorite entertainment content without any stutter would be a dream come true for the masses.
- 5G-enabled tracking bands would allow parents to keep an eye on their kids.
- Users will be able to connect with their smart home systems giving them the ability to optimize power usage on the go.
- You will able to communicate with your driver-less vehicle and tell it when to arrive at your doorstep and when to hit the parking lot.
With low-power usage and high speed, there will be no lagging problem at all. By keeping the applications mentioned above in mind, app developers can develop better mobile apps that would leverage the power of 5G to create truly smart cities of tomorrow.
The Other Side None Talks About
New tech always gets everyone excited. Why wouldn’t it? You get to see new opportunities unveiled that would benefit everyone.
But in this excitement, no one wants to talk about the negatives that accompany the new tech. Since we all know that all the glitter isn’t gold, let’s dive into some of the drawbacks of using 5G technology.
Here are some eye-opening things that you should be aware of:
- 5G won’t work on older devices.
- You’ll have to purchase 5G-enabled devices and they are costly.
- The security of 5G mobile phones is still in question. Personal sharing of data is not transparent.
- The high-frequency wavelengths used in 5G mobile phones are a severe threat to human health.
Ashad Rehman
