Are 5G Phones Worth It? Things You Should Know About This Technology
There’s no doubt that we’re living in an age of technology. The internet has become ubiquitous, our smartphones are in constant contact with the cloud, and there’s always something new and exciting on the horizon—like 5G phones.
But how much do you know about this new technology? What benefits will it bring to the table? How fast are 5G phones expected to be? Are they worth the price of admission? Read on to find out all there is to know about 5G phones!
Is It Worth Getting A 5G Phone Now?
For now, it’s too early to call. Many of us will buy a new phone every few years, but there is no compelling reason to upgrade our phone yet. Sure, they’re faster, but only if you have access to a 5G network—which isn’t everywhere. The phones are very expensive and some early models may be lacking in key features (like battery life) that people want from their smartphones today. If you’re planning on getting a new phone soon, stick with your 4G for now. If not…well, why not just wait and see how much faster your current phone is tomorrow?
Do 5G Phones Work Better?
There are lots of promises about what you can do with a 5G phone, but there’s not much proof that it will be significantly better than 4G. Major carriers say you might not even notice faster speeds on your phone. Right now, most networks just can’t support super-fast speeds—and in some cases, if they could, it would require using more spectrum than what exists today. But some networks are ready to provide 5G services; Verizon and AT&T have launched early access programs in select cities. The catch is they’re only available to certain people (like first adopters or tech geeks or people who live right along with one of these cell towers).
What Are The Advantages Of 5G?
The biggest advantage of 5G is that it’s more reliable than 4G. Faster download speeds mean you can transfer larger files faster, which will be useful for those who work with high-resolution media or enjoy playing online games. Aside from just being faster and more efficient, though, it also promises to improve your overall user experience.
For example, being able to stream Netflix without slowing down and crashing could dramatically change how people use their cell phones. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about: Think of moving from dial-up internet to wireless internet at home—5G is going to be a game-changer in much the same way!
What Are The Disadvantages Of 5G?
When it comes to tech, change is often perceived as a good thing. The problems with that attitude are apparent when you look at mobile networks and their constant effort to provide faster data speeds. While faster downloads might sound like a great thing, what happens when those speeds are suddenly too fast for our phones, computers and other connected devices to handle? That’s exactly what Verizon discovered after testing its new 5G network in 11 cities in 2017.
Even though 5G was supposed to be 10 times faster than 4G LTE, it turned out that some of Verizon’s customers couldn’t even use 4G because of how slow their connections were compared to what they were used to. And remember: These are people who have access to gigabit fiber connections in their homes! Even if your connection is slower than these folks’, imagine how frustrating it would be if your phone downloaded an HD movie in just seconds instead of minutes. Not only would you not have time to enjoy your content before your next appointment or class started, but you’d also risk running up expensive overage charges from your carrier.
Why Do I Need 5G On My Phone?
While 4G/LTE is still going strong, it’s getting crowded. There’s more congestion on that spectrum and you can feel slower speeds as a result. 5G is supposed to solve that problem by making your data connection faster and more consistent than ever before. Once it’s up and running, you should be able to download files as quickly as 10 GB per second—that’s 100 times faster than a standard 4G LTE connection!
Imagine being able to download an entire HD movie in just seconds. Amazing! But while phones with 5G capability keep coming out, how fast they go will depend on if any carriers are using those bands on their network—and right now there aren’t many doing so.
Which Is The Best 5G Smartphone?
The number of models available will likely increase as more carriers launch networks, but for now, it’s pretty slim pickings. That said, if you want to get in on the cutting edge of 5G phones, it’s probably going to be Samsung or Huawei. The former has its Galaxy S10 5G with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and up to 12 GB of RAM while its S10 5G+ has 16 GB of RAM. On top of that, it has a fingerprint reader built right into its display and a triple-lens camera array on its back. If you prefer something made by Huawei, then you have your pick between their P30 Pro or Mate 20 X5.
Do I Need a 5G Phone In 2022?
Now, before you get too excited about faster data speeds and no buffering for your online videos, you should be aware that 5G isn’t expected to be universally available in 2022. Today, 4G LTE is estimated to reach 90% of U.S. adults and 76% worldwide; by the end of 2022 it will extend to 95% of U.S. adults and 79% worldwide—but an upgrade to a higher-speed technology isn’t expected everywhere at once.
In addition, service providers still need to invest billions into building out their infrastructure to support 5G devices; as with any major overhaul of such a large system, there are a lot of logistical details that need sorting out first.
Will 4G Phones Stop Working?
As more and more phones are coming out with 5G capabilities, people are wondering whether their current devices will work with them. After all, a phone that only has 4G coverage can be frustrating at times since it limits your access to high-speed internet connections. The short answer is no: there’s no reason to think your 4G phone won’t continue working after you get a new one.
There are some important questions you should ask before jumping into new technology, though, including how likely it is that you’ll be able to use it and what kind of network providers you have available in your area right now.
How Long Will 4G Phones Be Supported?
While you’re right to think that 4G smartphones are getting a little long in the tooth, it’s not time to stop using them yet. The good news is that LTE has been upgraded several times since its inception, meaning your phone should continue working for years to come. However, if you want access to faster speeds and all of 5G’s features, you may have to upgrade sooner rather than later. Although, you don’t have to worry so much about that.
Will 5G Phones Work On 4G Network?
There’s no doubt that the full acceptance of 5G phones is coming soon and the phones will be, undoubtedly, lightning-fast. But they’re not exactly going to be worth it if they don’t work on 4G networks, right? Luckily, even though these phones will have faster connectivity in some places than others right now, you should still be able to use them on 4G LTE. How can we say that for sure? Well… There’s already a bunch of technology out there that allows for 4G LTE and even 3G network speeds to increase dramatically.
Will 5G Require A New SIM Card?
Switching to 5G doesn’t. While you may not need a new SIM card to use 5G, it’s important to note that each carrier will be using different frequencies. That means your 4G-compatible device might not work with a different carrier’s 5G network, and vice versa. In other words, if you get a 5G phone and decide to switch carriers in the future, your phone won’t automatically work with its network. The same can be said for carriers: your wireless company may or may not offer all of its services (voice, data, etc.) on every available spectrum band.
Why Is My 5G So Slow?
One of the biggest complaints about 5G is that it’s much slower than 4G. That’s partly due to demand for its connection: Until more people are using it, you can’t have higher speeds. But a lot of it has to do with how 5G works. For one thing, it uses something called Massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), which gives each user much more bandwidth than 4G users. Plus, lots of small cells will be used in conjunction with each other, so that means plenty of little antennae and cell towers all over your city—not just one big tower.
If you live in an area where there aren’t many people or businesses around, that could make for slower connections because fewer people are using them. And if you’re traveling between cities or countries, different networks may use different standards and technology, making it harder to connect at high speeds. So 5G is going to take some time before we see widespread adoption.
Is 5G Faster Than WIFI?
When it comes to internet speeds, WiFi and 3G are often considered to be faster than 4G. But with 5G’s lightning-fast speeds, can it take over as the fastest carrier for our mobile devices? The answer is yes and no.
Let me explain:
In terms of download speeds, WIFI and 3G can’t compete with 4G LTE or 5th generation (5g) wireless technology. For example, if you have a home WiFi router that has 100 megabits per second upload speed and a Verizon Wireless plan that offers 15 megabits per second downloads; if your phone can’t access WiFi connections, then you will only be able to connect at 15 megabits per second.
However, if you are connected to WiFi, your connection speed is limited by your internet provider’s upload speeds. So, in my example above, your data connection would top out at 100 megabits per second no matter what carrier you use.
Now let’s look at 5G: If we assume that both devices in our scenario above were on a network running on 5g technology instead of WiFi or 3G/4G; then it would make sense for them to reach maximum transfer rates near 1 gigabit per second because they are not limited by their respective networks’ upload speeds anymore. That means that our theoretical smartphone would now theoretically reach download speeds as high as 1 gigabit per second!
Will 5G Replace Wi-Fi?
With 5G technology just getting off of its feet, many are wondering if Wi-Fi is going to become a thing of the past. The short answer is no. Wi-Fi and 5G will go hand in hand to enable new technologies in homes and businesses across America and other countries to adopt 5G. More mobile devices will now be able to connect to faster internet speeds and support larger crowds.
Can I Use My 5G Phone For Home Internet?
Yes, at least in theory. 5G phones will likely have gigabit LTE capabilities that could be used to create home networks. However, what connection speed you’ll be able to receive varies based on several factors including your location and how far away from a cell tower you are.
Further, it’s unclear if existing internet infrastructure would support something like home internet using a high-speed LTE network. Cell phone providers like AT&T and Verizon also need to support this technology before it becomes viable. In other words, don’t expect to cut your cable bill any time soon.
Can 5G Penetrate Walls?
No, it can’t. At least not this early version of 5G technology.
Explanation:
Unlike previous generations of wireless technology, it will use a form of high-frequency radio waves called millimeter waves. In contrast to typical cellular transmissions that are about 1 or 2 GHz, millimeter waves have frequencies ranging from 30 gigahertz (GHz) to 300 GHz. They have higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths than cell phones or Wi-Fi signals. Because of their shorter wavelength, these wavelengths can be focused more tightly than those of other types of electromagnetic radiation.
This means they can be directed into narrow beams, making them ideal for sending large amounts of data over short distances. But because they’re so short in length, you need line-of-sight between devices. For example, if you want to beam information from one room in your house to another room with no obstacles in between (such as a wall), you need to aim your transmitter at your receiver through an open window or doorway. That’s why we won’t see 5G fully used for mobile phones, at least not now.
Can 5G Replace Cable Internet?
The question of whether 5G is better than traditional broadband has arisen now that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have all announced plans to roll out high-speed mobile internet service to millions of Americans. But don’t get too excited about cutting your home cable bill quite yet.
The reason you should care about 5G has nothing to do with home internet and everything to do with wireless home phone service. Most cell carriers will still be relying on landlines for their voice calling, but if you happen to live in a place where you can’t get wired internet, or even just want an alternative, then 5G could provide a decent alternative.
Will 5G Affect TV?
While we may be focused on mobile devices, don’t forget that our TVs are also connected to a wireless network. Many people leave their TVs on all day while they work, so they’re often sucking up just as much bandwidth as their phones. As networks transition to 5G technology and we begin seeing faster downloads and higher bandwidth streams (at least in theory), you may find yourself wondering if your TV will suffer from a similar lag as other wireless devices have.
According to industry experts, there’s no reason to worry; your TV won’t suddenly start lagging or buffering during game time. However, it is true that as more and more people use streaming apps for home entertainment, the video quality could potentially degrade.
Conclusion
The final answer to whether or not 5G phones are worth it is a definitive yes. Although these phones won’t be as affordable as 4G phones, they’ll be faster and stronger (since massive network enhancements have to be made). If you need a new phone, consider checking out some models from Samsung, Huawei, or LG because those companies have already started releasing them.
And while they may seem like something that’s simply here to stay, remember that all big technological changes start slowly before building momentum…so don’t be surprised if someday soon you look around and see everybody using a super-fast 5G smartphone!
About The Author

Williams Alfred Onen
Williams Alfred Onen is a degree-holding computer science software engineer with a passion for technology and extensive knowledge in the tech field. With a history of providing innovative solutions to complex tech problems, Williams stays ahead of the curve by continuously seeking new knowledge and skills. He shares his insights on technology through his blog and is dedicated to helping others bring their tech visions to life.