We believe that for many readers, the word ‘5G’ has been somewhat embarrassing. However, in fact, 5G has not really come yet. But the carriers and the phone makers have finally come in with real products. This simply means this technology will become popular and ready for use within a year.

5G Phones

Perhaps because of fierce competition, in the process of transition to 5G, smartphone manufacturers are much more motivated than operators. Since the end of last year, Qualcomm released the 5G solution of Snapdragon 855+X50. Basically, all mainstream smartphone manufacturers have made moves on 5G. Motorola released the 5G module, which is available on the Moto Z3. In fact, it happened as early as 9 months ago; OPPO showed two 5G prototypes last year and earlier this year, and announced that OPPO Reno 5G in Europe in two weeks ago (Switzerland has it on sale, while it will be released in China in the future); ZTE’s Axon 10 Pro 5G version is released in China today on May 6; as a manufacturer involved in the early Qualcomm 5G test development, Samsung released in February the Galaxy Fold 5G and Galaxy S10 5G, of which the Galaxy S10 5G was launched in South Korea a month ago; the LG V50 ThinQ 5G is also expected to be released in Korea on May 10; the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G version has been officially launched in Switzerland.

Apart from these companies, other manufacturers such as VIVO have also had 5G prototypes, and even HTC that has almost given up is rumored to have 5G phones.

Qualcomm and Huawei are the only two companies that have mobile 5G solutions, except for the smartphones that have just adopted Qualcomm’s modem. Huawei also launched 5G smartphones using its own Kirin 980+ Baron 5000 solution, namely Huawei Mate X and Mate 20 X 5G versions, of which the Mate 20 X 5G has been launched in Switzerland.

So, no matter which brand you prefer, after the large-scale listing of 5G smartphones, you will have a choice. Just note that the first 5G phones listed are definitely flagship machines, and the mid-range and low-end models will be delayed.

5G early adopters: fast but unstable

As mentioned above, the OPPO Reno 5G, Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G, and Huawei Mate 20 X 5G are already sold in Switzerland. South Korea also brought the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G a month ago. The United States launched mobile Wi-Fi using a 5G network in the carrier channel at the end of last year. Although there are 5G devices in Europe, South Korea, and the United States, you don’t need to be envious, because these are test models.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review and CNET’s field test of 5G smartphones in Seoul, South Korea, and Chicago, the current 5G is indeed much faster than 4G, probably about 4 to 6 times faster. However, in most cases, the 5G network is very unstable, either directly cut to 4G, or the network speed falls to an unbearably slow.

In contrast, the conservativeness of Chinese operators has become an advantage. Once the 5G network is been fully tested and the 5G base stations are fully deployed, the commercial 5G can be used to avoid the use of 4G.

Conclusion

‘Full Blood Edition’ 5G should be able to provide dozens of times the speed of 4G (different 5G speeds promoted by different companies), ultra-low latency of 1ms, and guaranteed stable network in complex areas (peak subway, tourist attractions, large exhibitions). As not all the markets have been prepared the 5G networks, the carriers and manufacturers do not hurry to bring many 5G smartphones. It is estimated that in the middle of 2020, a stable 5G commercial network will appear, and many users will be able to use 5G. But to achieve ‘full-blood’ performance, landing 5G, and low-end smartphones, 5G still need at least 2 to 3 years.

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