In the latter half of 2019, we saw the launch of a number of 5G smartphones. More and more cell phone manufacturers are pushing them out into the market. But what is so great about 5G? Is it any better than 4G?
5G equals faster mobile internet. Sounds great right? But there’s a catch! The 5G network isn’t as widely available as carriers would like you to believe. Although many manufacturers are pushing out 5G capable cell phones, the 5G network still isn’t available on all of these networks. It’s important to make sure you purchase the right phone on the right network in order to take full advantage of your new 5G smartphone.
Here are a few of our top 5G smartphone picks.
Samsung Galaxy S10
This is probably one of the most desired non-Apple smartphones in the market. It is an upgrade from the original S10 with an improved display and camera as well as 5G connectivity. This means if you can find 5G connectivity you have a mini supercomputer in the palm of your hand.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 comes loaded with great features like a 6.7-inch WQHD+3040×1440 display and Snapdragon 855 CPU. It boasts a 12 MP Super Speed dual-pixel 16 MP ultra-wide and 12 MP 2x zoom 3D depth-sensing camera. Your storage options are 8 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S10 is a force to be reckoned with.
Galaxy Note 10 + 5G
The Galaxy Notes have been a Samsung favorite since they hit the market. The +5G model brings you the expected note-taking capabilities we have come to love already, coupled with ultra-fast broadband wifi capabilities. The Samsung integrated cloud-based apps benefit from the same 5G speed as well. The Dynamic AMOLED touchscreen display measures 6.8 inches with 16M colors.
The storage space is available in 12 GB or 512 GB of RAM with a feature-packed primary quad camera and an octa-core processor. It is powered by two 2.73 GHz Mongoose M4, two 2.4 GHz Cortex-A75, and four 1.9 GHz Cortex-A55 chips. The new Galaxy Note 10 +5G is perfect for all of your business needs with the speed to back it up.
OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G
This is a Chinese-manufactured phone with high-performance capabilities. It is a dual-mode 5G phone with a 6.5 inch 90 Hz high-sensitivity curved touchscreen display, and Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor.
It comes with an Android 10.0-based ColorOS 7, with 8G to 128G of RAM. The dual-mode connectivity means the phone can connect to 5G in two different modes; NSA (Non-Standalone Access) and SA (Standalone Access).
It boasts a 48 MP quad-camera system with 5 times zoom feature. The OPPO Reno 3 Pro also has a front-facing 32 MP front-facing camera. It shoots 4K video at 30 FPS and comes with built-in facial and fingerprint recognition. The OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G is a great alternative to your more expensive US-based manufactured smartphones and it comes with all of the powerful 5G capabilities.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
Xiaomi is another Chinese-based manufacturer making headway into the 5G spectrum. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G holds heavy restraints on its selection of bandwidth. Whereas many of the new 5G smartphones offer 2G, 3G, 4G and more options the Mi Mix 3 5G only offers LTE and 5G bandwidth options. This could make travel to rural areas difficult as they likely wouldn’t support LTE or 5G.
The Xiaomi comes loaded with a quad-core Snapdragon 855 processor with a choice of 6 GB, 8 GB, and 10 GB of RAM. It has a Qualcomm X50 5G modem for mobile internet connectivity. It comes with an Android 9.0-based MIUI 10 with a 6.4 inch 2340 x 1080 full HD + OLED display.
There are 4 camera sensors on the phone; two in the front and two in the rear. The front camera boasts a 24 MP Sony IMX576 sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. The rear camera has a 12 MP Sony IMX363 sensor coupled with a 12MP Samsung S5K3m3+. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is great for urban and city areas where 5G networks are slowly being established; however they are not great for use in the rural areas due to the limited bandwidth options.
The invention of 5G network capabilities is still a new one and there are still many big game changers scheduled to come to market in 2020. Apple is rumored to release its 5G iPhone in late 2020 and we still haven’t seen LG or Google hit the 5G market just yet. If you want to get into the 5G world these are some great options that are already running smoothly on the limited 5G network available at this time. Stay tuned into new technology releases from your favorite carrier and manufacturers to see when they will be releasing their 5G smartphones.
