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Is the technological singularity near? “The singularity” describes a point where technology grows so rapidly and so uncontrollably that it will change things for human beings forever. “The singularity” has been discussed by brainiacs like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, and many people believe it may be heading our way soon if we are not experiencing it as you read this now.
Whether we’ve reached the singularity or not, you can’t deny that technology is growing exponentially. For example, look at the advances in cell phone technology. Consider the new reality of 5G connectivity, which is available now. Although cell phone technology is progressing exponentially, an indestructible smartphone has still yet to be created by a super-computer. So, being cell phones and their networks evolve, so must cell phone repair!
What is 5G exactly, and how will it affect consumers and the repair shop you might take your phone to when it breaks?
5G Connectivity is Here and Now
After years of musings about the fifth wave of wireless communication standards and its possible implications, all four major wireless carriers in the US now offer 5G connections. Additionally, cell phones that harness the blazing fast speeds of 5G connectivity are on sale right now. Although 5G is an option, it is a limited one – carriers and network developers are still working on making this connectivity more available.
What is 5G?
5G is the latest wave of wireless communication standards. Every generation of wireless standards has opened more possibilities. It started with 2G – this set of standards governed cell phone calls only.
3G brought us the wireless web. With 3G connectivity, we could use our smartphones to get online which was kind of a huge deal. 4G offers faster connection speeds and is more dependable. With 4G connectivity, we’re able to stream videos and use advanced apps that need reliable, sustainable connections.
The four major wireless carriers in the US have been working with developers to produce 5G networks and to build devices equipped with 5G radios that would work with the latest generation of standards.
5G means that when we connect, we’ll be able to use more connected devices at once. The connection will be more responsive, and in general, we can expect a remarkably faster rate of data transmission. We’re talking about the capacity to download a full-length movie in seconds.
What Does 5G Mean to You?
If you don’t have the latest and greatest phone on the market, 5G won’t mean much – your existing phone won’t be able to catch a 5G signal. The good news is, 3G and 4G will still be around for a bit, so there’s no need to rush out the door to grab the latest Samsung. (Unless you’re looking for an excuse to do that)
What Does 5G Mean for Cell Phone Repair?
5G raises interesting implications for phone repair. As we discussed in the beginning of this article, technology advances exponentially. So it’s hard to guess the exact ramifications that 5G data networks will have on modern smartphone repair when so much can change in the future.
But we can surmise a few things.
For one, we know that right now only the newest models of smartphones on the market are capable of connecting to 5G networks.
We also know that the newer the phone, the more complicated repair typically is. The more expensive it is too. So we can deduce that 5G will complicate cell phone repair, requiring technicians to accumulate new experience with these types of phones. Repair professionals might have to go out and get re-educated on how to work with new cell phones and their new networks.
With 5G capable phones also comes 5G capable phone components. Happily, for now, carriers plan to retain 4G elements in their 5G phones. That means that if your 5G phone was to break, only specific parts would need to be ordered from manufacturers in order to repair it at third party shops.
Of course, 4G will eventually phase out as technology advances, requiring all cell phone repair technicians to have expertise with 5G capable phones.
Although it’s difficult to make many more educated guesses about how 5G will impact cell phone repair services, we can assume that the nature of the repair businesses will stay the same.
What we mean when we say that is that some cell phone repair shops will stay abreast of technological trends, provide excellent customer service and make proficient repairs, and some won’t – just like now. Although technology evolves at a ridiculously fast rate, people, and the businesses they run and work at, don’t tend to change that much.
