(ThyBlackMan.com) With lightning-fast speed in some areas and poor network coverage in most places, the current state of 5G in the United States is inconsistent. But that doesn’t stop smartphone makers and consumers from joining the 5G bandwagon. While many people still feel that it’s too early to buy a 5G phone, some have already got them or are planning to buy.
When it comes to choosing the best 5G phone, options are limited but not that you have to choose from two or three options. Companies like Samsung, Motorola, LG, and OnePlus have already released a slew of 5G smartphones and here you will get to know about the top 5G phones to help you make the right choice.
Choosing the best 5G phone
It’s easy to put a list of currently available 5G phones, but choosing the right one can be exhausting. Before you explore the smartphone catalog presented by your favorite smartphone brand, it’s important to know 5G a little more.
The basic idea behind 5G is to provide faster internet and better connectivity. But all these benefits don’t come in a single package. To get the most out of a 5G network, both software and capable hardware are needed. For the software technology part, you can rely on a network operator but for the hardware, you need to check the phone you’re thinking of buying.
Solving the connectivity puzzle
Interestingly, not all 5G phones are the same. There are different 5G bands ranging from low to high. These bands determine the internet speed and coverage capabilities of a 5G connection. A low band means low internet speed with greater coverage. The high band receives fast internet speed but less to no coverage.
Apart from these low, medium, and high bands, there’s one more band called dynamic spectrum sharing also known as DSS. A large number of companies are eyeing DSS as a technology that will help them make a transition from 4G to 5G with ease. DSS will allow carriers to roll out 5G faster as they will be able to share airwaves between the two generations of cellular networks.
Based on our analysis of currently available 5G phones in the market, these 8 phones stand out.
Top 5G Phones of 2020
- Samsung Galaxy S20+
- LG V60
- Moto Edge+
- OnePlus 8
- Galaxy S20
- OnePlus 8 Pro
- Galaxy Note 10+
- Moto Z4
So, now you know the best 5G phones available in the market. But are all of them equally good in terms of running 5G? The answer is ‘no’. As mentioned above, hardware systems play a key role in determining which type of 5G network a phone can receive. The next big thing coming in the smartphone space is Qualcomm’s 5G capable X60 modem for future smartphones. It will help carriers repurpose existing bands.
As far as our list of top 5G phones is concerned, Galaxy S20 Ultra, S20+, Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, OnePlus 8, Moto Edge+, and LG V60 support all four bands including low, medium, high, and DSS. The S20, OnePlus 8 Pro, and non-Verizon models of LG V60 and OnePlus 8 support low, middle, and DSS bands. Motorola’s Z4 also supports 5G but runs only on the high band.
Needless to say that carriers are rapidly switching on new frequencies and bringing 5G support to new regions across the US. While AT&T has covered a large number of cities across the country, it only supports the low band in most of these places and high band in some parts. So, if you are looking for the best 5G phone, make sure to cross-check hardware and network capabilities particularly for the region you’re in. However, if it’s only about a future investment, which is actually the right term for a 5G phone purchase, pick the one that supports more bands.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
Have any Tech Tips? News? Hit up our Tech Guru at; CoreyS@ThyBlackMan.com