Is it worth buying a 5G phone? Nowadays you can see the 5G tag nearly everywhere. The newest phones are already able to connect to a 5G network. But is it worth it for us to buy a phone because it is a 5G one? Well, just like everything else, there is no certain answer to this question. So to decide the answer to this question make sure to read this article and decide whether or not is it worth it for you.
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How often do people buy a new phone?
Although we did not find a survey we can put together an approximate value from the various statistics: according to the data of the National Media and Communications Authority that the population and the number of smartphones in a country are almost the same. and that number is expected to grow steadily by a few per cent in the coming years. So we can say with great certainty that most people replace their devices on average every two years, although it would probably be closer to reality if we said that the majority buy every 1-3 years. give yourself a new phone.
Based on this, we will now also examine whether it will be of any significance in the next 1-3 years if our phone is capable of a 5G data connection.
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When will the 5G network be built?
According to the European Union’s 5G strategy announced in 2016, the 5G service should be launched in all member states by the end of 2020, but it is already clear that the goal will only be partially achieved.
To launch 5G, governments also had to make new frequencies available to telecom operators, which happened to us at the end of March this year, and the earlier launch of operators like Vodafone was made possible by certain frequencies acquired in the 2016 spectrum tender. The expansion of the network infrastructure and the construction of the new radio network has started. An important change from previous network generation changes is that network- optimized smartphones are also available at 5G in a timely manner.
In several countries, pilot networks are still in place, and commercial 5G service has been launched in 17 EU Member States and the UK. However, due to the epidemic, frequency bids have been postponed in several countries. The delay is considered temporary by the analysis: 5G is projected to spread faster than previous mobile generations, and in the fourth year from launch, one-fifth of subscriptions will be 5G – 4 years for 4G.
What are the benefits of 5G phones at all?
Basically, 5G technology will have three major advantages over the current 4G: much faster upload and download speeds (up to 20 Gbit / s), less latency, and the ability to serve many more devices at once. In the case of phones, however, these benefits will be limited, as mobile networks with 4G have reached roughly the level where we can use our phone anywhere, for anything: pages load in the blink of an eye, movies and videos do not crash in Full HD resolution, the service is available almost anywhere in the country and is extremely stable. So in everyday life, we will only see at most nuances, but there are areas where it can be beneficial to use 5G:
Live video streaming: Increasingly popular live video may require a huge amount of data to be carried at once, although it is still a good question whether this will really require 5G capabilities (see Cloud gaming). However, 5G could still be an added benefit, as higher download speeds with unlimited mobile internet are likely to be available at higher download speeds, which are prerequisites for high-definition live video.
Location: Compared to the 50-100 meter accuracy of the 4G network, the 5G network can identify the position of our phone with an accuracy of up to one meter.
Mass events: since the 5G network can serve many more devices at once, we don’t have to worry about the mobile mass dying in larger masses. Although festivals have exemplified in this field in recent years, the difference will still be striking at football matches, concerts and any event that attracts many people.
Cloud gaming: The cloud gaming services that are just emerging allow us to stream video games like movies, so we can play the latest AAA-rated games without the necessary hardware. 5G will give great potential to online phone games as well. So you will be able to play all kind of games from PUBG to a Book of Ra 10 without any lag. Also, the appearance of 5G will surely bring some new games and technologies with it.
However, there are still many questions about these services: we do not know when they will be available on mobile, we do not know when they will arrive, and according to the requirements published by Google and Sony, the speed of the 4G network must be sufficient. to have the perfect gaming experience. Sony, for example, has pushed the limit to Playstation Now at just 5 Mbps, and at Google Stadium’s 35 Mbps bandwidth, in principle, 4K resolution content will run stably at 60 fps (According to last year’s OpenSignal report). The advantage of 5G here is mainly in the lower latency, which can be especially important in multiplayer games.
In addition, let’s not forget that new applications and services may appear together with 5G, the spread of which has so far been hindered by the fact that they did not have the necessary technological background. These can be, for example, different augmented reality applications, although it is also questionable whether a 5G data connection will really be needed.
Conclusion
So to decide whether or not it is worth buying a 5G phone ask yourself the following questions:
-Do you really need a phone?
-Does your country/city have a 5G network providers?
-How can you benefit from the 5G network?
If you have clear answers to these questions then undoubtedly you can buy a 5G capable phone. If you hesitate on most of the questions, you can wait another 2-3 years till buying another phone.
