5G is more than hype and some very strange (and in some cases, dangerous) conspiracy theories. Here’s what you really need to know: 5G offers faster download and upload speeds, more bandwidth, less latency and enough throughput to support a people house trying to connect to the internet (although Home 5G broadband is … limited, to say the least).
AND 5G connectivity is not as scarce as it was in the beginning. Operators are launching more towers and installing more nodes in existing towers in the USA. If your carrier has already switched on the 5G where you live, or if you are considering upgrading your phone this year, buying a 5G phone is a good idea.
Apple, Google, Samsung, OnePlus and even some low-cost smartphone players are fully committed to the new wireless specification, although it is not the same among major carriers. There is a bit of a nuance to 5G and its different frequencies, which can make choosing a compatible device a little boring!
Discovering 5G is complicated because of the way it was implemented in the United States. When buying a phone, you need to know that there are three frequencies that make up 5G: low band, medium band and high band. Low band frequencies are often considered 5G “blanket” because of their far range, but their 600 to 700 MHz spectrum is quite slow. Mid-band frequencies are faster from 1.7 GHz to 2.5 GHz, and are like the just right 5G level you would expect at this stage. High band frequencies are called 5G millimeter waves in the 24 GHz spectrum and above, but the higher frequency means a shorter range. The signal cannot travel very far and cannot penetrate, say, walls or windows. This means that you can get extremely fast speeds if you are directly under a 5G node, but not at home. The operators have deployed 5G in different bands, but the ideal 5G network is composed of all three. It is a work in progress.
T-Mobile is known for its mass offering of low band frequencies, since it swallowed Sprint, which is how it gets away with the advertisement that it has the most coverage. Verizon and AT&T rely primarily on the high-bandwidth 5G mmWave. You not only need to pay attention to what type of 5G service your operator is offering in your area, but some 5G phones support only specific types of 5G. This is becoming less of an issue now, but if you are buying a 5G phone, make sure it supports mmWave and 5G sub-6Ghz.
5G phones are it’s not that expensive anymore how they were. It is possible to spend as little as $ 300 on a 5G compatible phone, although devices are limited in bandwidth support at that price point and are generally reserved for low-cost networks. Here are our recommendations for 5G phones to buy this year.