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What is 5G?

5G technology is set to change the way we use both our phones and our smart tech.

connectivity

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If you’re out and about without access to WiFi, using a 5G network is the best way to get online. It’s the 5th generation of mobile broadband- more powerful and faster than 3 or 4G.

How fast is 5G?

With 5G, you could get a connection that’s 100 times faster than other wireless networks or wired connections, making 5G network speed the fastest.

And what does that mean in real terms? 5G download speed means your favourite movies can be streamed straight to your phone in seconds, even if it’s in HD 8K quality. In fact, the difference between 4G vs 5G speed is huge…

What is the difference between 5G and 4G?

Speed: If you’re looking at 5G vs 4G, what you’ll notice first is that everything downloads much faster. You can stream, share and download many more data-heavy things (like high-res videos and audio) much more quickly. So exactly how much faster is 5G than 4G? At the moment, you’re looking at a 10% difference in download times between the two.

Capacity: With 5G you can also get online more easily in busy, high-traffic areas. That’s because of the difference between 5G and 4G frequency bands. 5G uses much higher frequencies compared to other networks, which makes its signal less likely to be interfered with. So with 5G phones, there’ll be no more stressing at a festival that you can’t get on Whatsapp to find your mates!

Coverage: 5G is currently available in 141 UK towns and cities, with that number increasing all the time. EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all have their 5G networks up and running. So 5G coverage isn’t quite up to its 4G counterpart yet but it’s only a matter of time.

So, if this has got you interested, the question now is: how to upgrade from 4G to 5G? Well, first of all, you might need to get yourself a new phone…

What handsets are 5G compatible?

Not all phones can connect to 5G internet yet, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a 5G handset.

Bad news for iPhone fans - there isn’t an Apple 5G offering yet, but there are rumours we’ll be seeing one later this year.

At the moment, there are a few Android 5G phones out there, although from a relatively small groups of providers with Samsung 5G phones being the most talked about.

But if you can’t wait to start using the new 5G phones, we’ve rounded up a list of all the latest 5G smartphones you can get your hands on at Currys:

The Galaxy S10

The Galaxy S20

The Galaxy S20 Ultra

The Galaxy Note 10 Plus

The Galaxy A90

There’ll surely be plenty more 5G phones for 2020 though, so watch this space!

What is 5G broadband?

If you want to get set up at home as well as when you’re on the go, then 5G broadband is the answer.

5G home internet is wireless, which means all you need is a 5G router (also known as a 5G home hub) to get set up. Just plug it in and get used to super-fast speeds. This makes 5G installation a breeze compared to most traditional home broadbands.

Is a 5G phone something you should go for? See our 5 great reasons for it!

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