If there's one thing we've seen across all carriers this year, it's been them doing their part to hype up 5G. 5G is the next evolution of 4G LTE wireless data, offering substantially faster download and upload speeds.
The potential for 5G is very exciting, but right now, it's still quite limited for the areas and devices that actually support it.
Taking a look through the AC forums, here's what some of our members think about the next-gen standard for wireless networks.
I bought the 5G model of the Note 10 plus because it should have been already rolled out in my neighbourhood, after being in contact with my carrier/provider a couple of times I ended up kinda accepting that it just wasn't enabled yet here. Then today I brought a friend to a store 2 miles away to buy a new laptop and when I went to check the time on my phone I saw the little 5G where 4G normally...
j_hansen
from the 5G videos I've seen it looks like you have to be right up on the node for it to work. Literally turn a corner and you're back to 4G. Seems like it works more like a home WiFi router than a cell network.
kirksucks
You would be correct in that assessment. Since 5G uses millimeter wave radios, things like walls, buildings, and distance affect it more than the longer wavelength systems like 3G and 4G. That is the single biggest challenge of deploying 5G. The sheer amount of repeaters needed to provide appropriate coverage in an area. Cities are charging the carriers per pole for installing 5G antennas. ...
anon(7901790)
Don't buy it yet. Not enough infrastructure on ground.
adegbenroagoro
All of this discussion got us to thinking — Have you been able to use a 5G network yet?
Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.
