iPhone owners are ‘crying’ after the grim truth behind the signal bar symbol was revealed

IPHONE owners are finally learning what the E symbol on their signal bar means.

The truth behind the mysterious icon may not be clear, especially if you are younger.

It stands for EDGE, or Enhanced Data GSM Evolution, a type of telephone network.

That may sound futuristic, but it actually means you’re connected to an old 2G-style phone network.

So if you see it, expect extremely poor phone internet.

The truth was revealed in a post on Reddit that has attracted more than 1,000 upvotes to ask “What does that E mean?”

One user said they “cry” because they get the E symbol so regularly.

Another said: “It means your data will be slow as f***.”

It’s understandable that people might not know what E means, since 2G networks date back to the early 1990s.

EDGE networks limit your data speed to just under half of a megabit per second.

In contrast, 5G can deliver hundreds of megabits per second – and possibly even several gigabits per second.

OUT

Eventually, the E symbol will no longer appear on phones as these old 2G networks are shut down around the world.

In December 2021, the UK government announced its intention to switch off 2G and 3G networks.

Both networks are expected to be terminated “no later than 2033, but likely much sooner.”

Even in 2024, EE, Vodafone and Three are all expected to abandon 3G – with Virgin Media O2 set to follow suit in 2025.

There is currently no timetable for 2G shutdown, but EE is expected to shut it down before 2030.

“As 2G currently has wider coverage than 4G, it remains important for providing voice and text services in rural areas,” said a UK Parliament research briefing.

“There are also more non-mobile telephone devices that depend on 2G (such as smart energy meters).”

Networks in the United States are also at a standstill.

AT&T shut down its 2G network back in 2017, and Verizon did the same in 2020.

T-Mobile is expected to shut down 2G in April 2024.

It is the only remaining 2G provider in the US, along with all the ‘virtual operators’ that use its network.