The next generation internet connection has been available on smartphones since 2019, but 2020 was the year that technology started to shine, with the most leading devices you could buy this year, with the new technology and more networks providing worldwide coverage.
Samsung’s entire Galaxy S20 series included 5G-enabled devices, OnePlus brought the feature to its top phones, a whole host of other Android manufacturers launched 5G-ready devices, and every member of the iPhone 12 family was built with 5G in mind. .
This is impressive, as this time last year there was only a small range of 5G devices on the market, with choices like a specific Samsung Galaxy S10 5G variant if you wanted the next generation technology.
It’s amazing that manufacturers are embracing the technology, and now there are even cheap 5G alternatives to big-name devices like the Google Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 mini. The Realme X50 5G, for example, costs just £ 300 in the UK, making it one of the cheapest ways to get 5G.
One big rumor indicates that 5G phones will become even cheaper in 2021. This makes sense as the technology becomes more common, and there are rumors that Samsung will launch a device called the Galaxy A22 5G that will cost only 200,000 Korean won (about $ 180, £ 135, AU $ 240).
But while 5G technology is now much more common and cheaper to access, it still is not a big enough reason to upgrade your phone.
If you are looking for a new device and you want it to be future, then choose a 5G ready phone anyway. This is the smartest thing to do. We easily recommend 5G devices, in fact a large part of the devices in our best smartphone rankings are already 5G ready, but do not choose any of these simply because it has embedded 5G technology.
If 5G signal is available and you have a compatible device, you can reach some phenomenal speeds. But there are many hoops to jump through to get there, and even by the end of 2020, it is still not ubiquitous.
You have to live in a 5G-ready area, have the right phone, pay extra for 5G connection from your provider (this is not always the case, but many pay extra), and more.
It is now becoming a reality
In South London, for example, we have seen 5G coverage on a number of UK networks increase incredibly fast by 2020. It is still not available everywhere in this particular area, but we will often get the faster speeds when we step out and it is usually useful when streaming music or sending messages.
But it is not available everywhere, and if you do not live in such a metropolitan area, you may have to wait a while longer until it rolls out where you are. We expect the technology to expand much further in 2021, but there is no guarantee that you will see it wherever you live.
Then there is the Covid-19 pandemic which means we make much less use of mobile networks as we stay more at home on our Wi-Fi connections. If your home is covered by 5G, you may experience higher speeds than your WiFi, but this is rare unless you live in the middle of a city.
If you need to upgrade your phone, choosing the phone in 2020 made it easier for 5G to become more common in the next few years. You can upgrade to an iPhone 12 or any number of Android phones and know that in a few years you will not be left behind if 5G is more common.
However, our advice remains that you should not upgrade specifically for 5G. Do not upgrade your phone to 5G only, because you can just wait for it to become more common and more accessible.