• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
TechEngage

TechEngage

Technology news and opinions

  • Tech News
  • Reviews
  • How-to
  • Roundups
  • Science
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Space
  • Apps
  • More
    • Opinion
    • Noteworthy
    • Culture
    • Blockchain
      • Cryptocurrency
    • Events
    • Deals
    • Startups
      • Startup Submissions
  • Videos
  • Login
Internet

AT&T will put a fake 5G logo on its 4G LTE phones

Avatar for Noor Imtiaz Noor Imtiaz Updated: February 17, 2021

AT&T company logo illustration
Design by abdugeek / TechEngage

AT&T planning to dupe its customers into thinking they are using 5G by creating a small logo labelled “5G E” on their phones next year. However, this is simply updated 4G LTE technology. The small E in their logo will stand for “evolution.” However, this trick will deceive users who are likely to overlook the “E,” possibly thinking they are getting 5G service. A report from FierceWireless confirms this news.

5G “Evolution”

AT&T announced their 5G Evolution in October 2017. This was the name they were to give their advanced 4G LTE to subtly advertise it as 5G on false grounds. However, they have now confirmed that they are going to go through with this plan. There will be a 5G E logo on all the advanced 4G LTE phones from next year. All LTE Advanced phones will now have this fake 5G logo. To make matters hilariously worse, AT&T has already dubbed its real (future) 5G tech as “5G+,” whatever that means.

Unfortunately, AT&T has pulled this trick before. When the mobile company was shifting from 3G to 4G, it called a speed-boosted 3G an HSPA+ and people lapped it up thinking they were getting entirely new technology. When on an HSPA+ phone, users got a 4G logo, even though the phone was simply upgraded 3G. This technique of AT&T (and T-Mobile) was supposedly convincing enough that even Apple took part. 

The Motive

According to a blog post by T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray, the purpose behind the scheme is deception (although he’s really not one to talk). Looking at the mock-up that AT&T has sent, it is easily visible that the E is small enough to be overlooked. Moreover, most of their customers are not likely to know that the E means that it is not really 5G. Ray writes:

“AT&T is so worried about how limited their 5G footprint will be that they’ve renamed their existing LTE network “5G Evolution.” And now, they’re calling their super limited mmW deployment ‘5G+.’ I’ve heard they even have plans to show a 5G network indicator for LTE on consumers’ devices to hide the fact that actual 5G will be scarce, duping customers into thinking they’re getting something they’re not.”

Analysts are concerned that the motive behind this deception is winning the inevitable advertisement wars in a world which will soon shift its focus to 5G. Just to get the title of introducing 5G first, AT&T is willing to go to these lengths. They hope that buyers will be willing to invest in a fake 5G phone just to feel like they are using the technology before anyone else. 

AT&T’s Defense

In response to the report, a vague statement from AT&T has been making the rounds. It claims that the small E meaning Evolution is enough to understand that the technology is evolving towards 5G, but it is not quite there yet.

AT&T has customers in hundreds of markets around the world. This means that potentially millions of people will see the misleading 5G E logo. Real 5G will be scarce next year. This deliberate mis-branding could, therefore, decide the future for AT&T’s sales.

This post was orginally published on: December 23, 2018 and was updated on: February 17, 2021.

Related Tags: 4G 4GSmartphones 5G 5G Smartphone AT&T

Related Stories

  • FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is ecstatic after Congress fails to save net neutrality

    FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is ecstatic after Congress fails to save net neutrality

  • Spotify has revealed the price of its deal for Gimlet and Anchor

    Spotify has revealed the price of its deal for Gimlet and Anchor

  • Russia to briefly “turn off” country’s Internet access. But why?

    Russia to briefly “turn off” country’s Internet access. But why?

Avatar for Noor Imtiaz

Noor Imtiaz

Former News Reporter

Currently a MS student in Healthcare Biotech at Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology juggling pure science and creative writing. I’m an avid reader who makes more time for books than Netflix.

Reader Interactions

Join The Discussion: Cancel reply

Please read our comment policy before submitting your comment. Your email address will not be used or publish anywhere. You will only receive comment notifications if you opt to subscribe below.

Primary Sidebar

Become a contributor

We are accepting contributor applications. All applications will be decided in 3 days after applying. To learn more click here.
TechEngage-Apple-News
TechEngage-Google-News

Recent Stories

  • Best family board games to buy on Amazon for 2021
  • Best gaming controllers for PC on Amazon for 2021
  • Canon announces flagship EOS R3 camera
  • Apple confirms its next event on April 20
  • Everything you need to know about new Nokia smartphones
YouTube to MP3 Converters

7 Best Youtube to MP3 Converters for 2021

best educational apps for android and ios

14 best educational apps of 2021

WhatsApp fingerprint lock android and iOS

How to secure WhatsApp with fingerprint lock on Android and iOS

waching machine cleanses dirty clothes

How does Washing Machine cleanse your dirty clothes

Footer

Discover

  • About us
  • Newsroom
  • Staff
  • Advertise
  • Send us a tip
  • Startup Submission Questionnaire
  • Brand Kit
  • Contact us

Legal pages

  • Reviews Guarantee
  • Community Guidelines
  • Corrections Policy and Practice
  • Cookies Policy
  • Our Ethics
  • Disclaimer
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Must reads

  • Best AirPods alternatives on Amazon
  • Best PC monitors for gaming on Amazon
  • Best family board games
  • Best Graphics Cards (GPUs) for gaming
  • Best video doorbells without subscription
  • Best handheld video game consoles
  • Best all-season tires for snow
  • Best mobile Wi-Fi hotspots
  • Best treadmills on Amazon
  • Best AM radios for long-distance reception

Download our apps

TechEngage-app-google-play-store

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved · TechEngage® is a Project of TechAbout LLC.
TechEngage® is a registered trademark in United Kingdom under Trademark Number UK00003417167 and is ISSN protected under the ISSN 2690-3776 and OCLC Number 1139335774.

Go to mobile version