With the next generation of mobile data connectivity already beginning to spread across Australia, it's time we start to look at how to get the most out of 5G.
You can check out our detailed look into what 5G actually is, but the short and sweet of it is that it's an improvement on 4G connectivity that allows for significantly faster (up to 1GBps) download and upload speeds while using a mobile internet connection.
While still in its infancy, there's already a few 5G handsets and contract plans available to compare, so we've done the legwork and checked them all out thoroughly – rounding them up in one neat place.
In Australia, there's currently only five or so 5G-ready handsets available to customers, and not all of them can be purchased outright or are available on all carriers, so that doesn't leave us with too much in the way of choice just yet.
Regardless, here are the best 5G phones you can buy right now in Australia.
1) Oppo Reno 5G
2) Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G
3) Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
5G on iPhone
Not one to rush things in terms of the forefront of phone tech, Apple has chosen a more cautious approach to adding 5G to its popular iPhone range.
At the moment, there's no Apple iPhone capable of supporting 5G, and there's no official word on when we'll see one either, although rumours have recently pointed to either 2020 or 2021.
The handsets that are already out and supporting 5G all boast the same chipset – Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855. Apple was engaged in a long-running legal battle with Qualcomm, but in order to maintain its 5G targets, settled the dispute.
However, since then, there have been rumours that Apple will buy up Intel's smartphone modem division in order to bring the development of 5G tech in-house, adding to the growing list of iPhone components that the Cupertino giant aim to produce themselves.
5G devices from Samsung
On the other hand, Samsung has already released two 5G-capable handsets – the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G – both of which are available in Australia both outright and with carrier plans.
Telstra 5G plans
Right now, Telstra has a bit of an advantage in the world of 5G plans, launching ahead of Optus and to much greater fanfare. In fact, right now, you can't sign up to a new Telstra plan without getting some form of 5G connectivity.
Currently, Telstra is offering four different plans – Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. The Small and Medium plans offer 15GB and 60GB of data respectively and both come with access to the 5G network on a trial basis (which means you'll need to start paying for it if you want to use it after June 30, 2020).
The Large and Extra Large plans offer 100GB and 150GB of data respectively and include full 5G network access, even after June 30, 2020.
Telstra 5G coverage
As Telstra's 5G trial period is live, coverage of the future-ready network continues to grow. At present, there are only 10 cities and regions that have 5G network coverage – Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Launceston, Gold Coast, Toowoomba.
It's worth noting that, while these cities do have some degree of 5G coverage, it doesn't account for the entire region. For an up-to-date map of where you can and can't get coverage, check out Telstra's dedicated page.
In our own testing, we found that download speeds on the fringes of these 5G coverage zones were actually considerably worse off when compared to the 4G signal attained just outside of the zones.
It is still very much in its infancy – more-so than Telstra's at this stage – but 165 sites are said to have been built and Optus claims that it will reach the 1,000 mark by March 2020 (it previously aimed for 1,200 but has since adjusted that benchmark).
As for coverage, you can check out the finer details on the official Optus 5G page, but despite having many regions in a number of cities live, the coverage map shows a rather patchy signal.
We expect the rollout will follow a similar pattern to Telstra's current coverage, with the select few areas that currently have the new network slowly expanding over the following months.
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.
The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.
5G networks are already starting to appear and are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.
When will 5G launch?
In the US
Verizon surprised most of the world by launching its 5G network at the start of April 2019, making it the first globally to offer the next-generation network.
It's currently only available in limited parts of Chicago and a few other locations, and there are just two handsets currently available to use on the new 5G network.
In Chicago, US we've managed to obtain speeds of up to 1.4Gbps, which is massively faster than 4G's theoretical top speed of 300Mbps (although average speeds tend to be below 100Mbps).
However, 5G coverage is patchy and we had to move around the city's various 5G masts to get this top speed. We did tend to get around 1Gbps quite consistently though.
5G in London, UK is more of a mixed bag, with speeds in our test ranging from 200Mbps to 550Mbps - still much quicker than 4G, but not the same level as we are seeing in Chicago.
AT&T has rolled out its 5G network to 19 cities across the States, but it still doesn't offer any 5G phones - with your only option for now a 5G Netgear Nitehawk mobile hotspot.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile is yet to launch its 5G network in the US, but it previously said it would bring 5G to 30 cities, starting in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas.
EE was the first UK carrier to launch its 5G network, switching it on in six cities on May 30 2019. It has promised to bring 5G to 10 further cities by the end of 2019.
It was followed by Vodafone on July 3, 2019, when it launched 5G in seven cities, rolling out to a further eight towns and cities on July 17.
Next up was Three, which launched a 5G service in London on August 19, however, there's a catch - it's initially only available for home broadband. However, it will be coming to mobile later this year, as well as to 24 more towns and cities.
O2 meanwhile is the only major UK network not to have any sort of 5G service yet, but it plans to roll 5G out in October.
Telstra's 5G coverage went live as of May, 2019, with the launch of the first 5G smartphone in Australia – the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – and Optus has now joined in.
At the time, Telstra coverage was limited to 10 major cities and regions and, within those regions, was somewhat limited and patchy. This includes Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Toowoomba.
The rollout continues, however, and coverage is steadily increasing for both major telcos. For a detailed and up-to-date map on coverage across Australia, check out Telstra's dedicated 5G page as well as the Optus 5G page.
What 5G phones are available?
Image Credit: TechRadar
A number of 5G phone announcements have been made in 2019, however only a handful are currently available, and the choice is further limited by country and carrier.
In the US, Motorola's 5G Moto Mod provides next-generation connectivity to a select few Moto Z handsets, plus the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is also available.
For those in the UK, you can currently get hold of six 5G phones; the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Oppo Reno 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G is also available for pre-order at the time of writing.
5G speeds will vary between locations, countries, carriers and devices, but on the whole the average internet speed you can expect should be much greater than what's currently offered on 4G.
We've been testing the first 5G networks in the US, UK, and Australia, and have found speeds to be a little bit of a mixed bag.
01/07 - NETWORKS - Three: 5G is our "biggest opportunity" - Contiguous spectrum and infrastructure boost could be the key to helping Three pull ahead in 5G...
05/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile networks fork out £1.4bn for 5G spectrum - Ofcom publishes the results of its 5G spectrum auction, revealing that the UK's biggest mobile network operators spent almost £1.4 billion...
Expansion of advanced technologies - such as self-driving cars & smart cities
How fast will 5G be?
It’s still not exactly known how much faster 5G will be than 4G, as much of the technology is still under development.
That being said, the networks should provide a significant upgrade to current download and upload speeds - with the GSMA proposing minimum download speeds of around 1GBps.
Most estimates expect the average speed of 5G networks to reach 10Gb/s, and some even think transfer rates could reach a whopping 800Gb/s.
This would mean that users could download a full-length HD quality film in a matter of seconds, and that downloading and installing software upgrades would be completed much faster than today.
What will a 5G network need?
The GSMA has outlined eight criteria for 5G networks, with a connection needing meet a majority of these in order to qualify as 5G:
1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field (i.e. not theoretical maximum)
With the next generation of mobile data connectivity already beginning to spread across Australia, it's time we start to look at how to get the most out of 5G.
You can check out our detailed look into what 5G actually is, but the short and sweet of it is that it's an improvement on 4G connectivity that allows for significantly faster (up to 1GBps) download and upload speeds while using a mobile internet connection.
While still in its infancy, there's already a few 5G handsets and contract plans available to compare, so we've done the legwork and checked them all out thoroughly – rounding them up in one neat place.
In Australia, there's currently only five or so 5G-ready handsets available to customers, and not all of them can be purchased outright or are available on all carriers, so that doesn't leave us with too much in the way of choice just yet.
Regardless, here are the best 5G phones you can buy right now in Australia.
1) Oppo Reno 5G
2) Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G
3) Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
5G on iPhone
Not one to rush things in terms of the forefront of phone tech, Apple has chosen a more cautious approach to adding 5G to its popular iPhone range.
At the moment, there's no Apple iPhone capable of supporting 5G, and there's no official word on when we'll see one either, although rumours have recently pointed to either 2020 or 2021.
The handsets that are already out and supporting 5G all boast the same chipset – Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855. Apple was engaged in a long-running legal battle with Qualcomm, but in order to maintain its 5G targets, settled the dispute.
However, since then, there have been rumours that Apple will buy up Intel's smartphone modem division in order to bring the development of 5G tech in-house, adding to the growing list of iPhone components that the Cupertino giant aim to produce themselves.
5G devices from Samsung
On the other hand, Samsung has already released two 5G-capable handsets – the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G – both of which are available in Australia both outright and with carrier plans.
Telstra 5G plans
Right now, Telstra has a bit of an advantage in the world of 5G plans, launching ahead of Optus and to much greater fanfare. In fact, right now, you can't sign up to a new Telstra plan without getting some form of 5G connectivity.
Currently, Telstra is offering four different plans – Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. The Small and Medium plans offer 15GB and 60GB of data respectively and both come with access to the 5G network on a trial basis (which means you'll need to start paying for it if you want to use it after June 30, 2020).
The Large and Extra Large plans offer 100GB and 150GB of data respectively and include full 5G network access, even after June 30, 2020.
Telstra 5G coverage
As Telstra's 5G trial period is live, coverage of the future-ready network continues to grow. At present, there are only 10 cities and regions that have 5G network coverage – Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Launceston, Gold Coast, Toowoomba.
It's worth noting that, while these cities do have some degree of 5G coverage, it doesn't account for the entire region. For an up-to-date map of where you can and can't get coverage, check out Telstra's dedicated page.
In our own testing, we found that download speeds on the fringes of these 5G coverage zones were actually considerably worse off when compared to the 4G signal attained just outside of the zones.
It is still very much in its infancy – more-so than Telstra's at this stage – but 165 sites are said to have been built and Optus claims that it will reach the 1,000 mark by March 2020 (it previously aimed for 1,200 but has since adjusted that benchmark).
As for coverage, you can check out the finer details on the official Optus 5G page, but despite having many regions in a number of cities live, the coverage map shows a rather patchy signal.
We expect the rollout will follow a similar pattern to Telstra's current coverage, with the select few areas that currently have the new network slowly expanding over the following months.
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.
The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.
5G networks are already starting to appear and are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.
When will 5G launch?
In the US
Verizon surprised most of the world by launching its 5G network at the start of April 2019, making it the first globally to offer the next-generation network.
It's currently only available in limited parts of Chicago and a few other locations, and there are just two handsets currently available to use on the new 5G network.
In Chicago, US we've managed to obtain speeds of up to 1.4Gbps, which is massively faster than 4G's theoretical top speed of 300Mbps (although average speeds tend to be below 100Mbps).
However, 5G coverage is patchy and we had to move around the city's various 5G masts to get this top speed. We did tend to get around 1Gbps quite consistently though.
5G in London, UK is more of a mixed bag, with speeds in our test ranging from 200Mbps to 550Mbps - still much quicker than 4G, but not the same level as we are seeing in Chicago.
AT&T has rolled out its 5G network to 19 cities across the States, but it still doesn't offer any 5G phones - with your only option for now a 5G Netgear Nitehawk mobile hotspot.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile is yet to launch its 5G network in the US, but it previously said it would bring 5G to 30 cities, starting in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas.
EE was the first UK carrier to launch its 5G network, switching it on in six cities on May 30 2019. It has promised to bring 5G to 10 further cities by the end of 2019.
It was followed by Vodafone on July 3, 2019, when it launched 5G in seven cities, rolling out to a further eight towns and cities on July 17.
Next up was Three, which launched a 5G service in London on August 19, however, there's a catch - it's initially only available for home broadband. However, it will be coming to mobile later this year, as well as to 24 more towns and cities.
O2 meanwhile is the only major UK network not to have any sort of 5G service yet, but it plans to roll 5G out in October.
Telstra's 5G coverage went live as of May, 2019, with the launch of the first 5G smartphone in Australia – the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – and Optus has now joined in.
At the time, Telstra coverage was limited to 10 major cities and regions and, within those regions, was somewhat limited and patchy. This includes Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Toowoomba.
The rollout continues, however, and coverage is steadily increasing for both major telcos. For a detailed and up-to-date map on coverage across Australia, check out Telstra's dedicated 5G page as well as the Optus 5G page.
What 5G phones are available?
Image Credit: TechRadar
A number of 5G phone announcements have been made in 2019, however only a handful are currently available, and the choice is further limited by country and carrier.
In the US, Motorola's 5G Moto Mod provides next-generation connectivity to a select few Moto Z handsets, plus the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is also available.
For those in the UK, you can currently get hold of six 5G phones; the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Oppo Reno 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G is also available for pre-order at the time of writing.
5G speeds will vary between locations, countries, carriers and devices, but on the whole the average internet speed you can expect should be much greater than what's currently offered on 4G.
We've been testing the first 5G networks in the US, UK, and Australia, and have found speeds to be a little bit of a mixed bag.
01/07 - NETWORKS - Three: 5G is our "biggest opportunity" - Contiguous spectrum and infrastructure boost could be the key to helping Three pull ahead in 5G...
05/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile networks fork out £1.4bn for 5G spectrum - Ofcom publishes the results of its 5G spectrum auction, revealing that the UK's biggest mobile network operators spent almost £1.4 billion...
Expansion of advanced technologies - such as self-driving cars & smart cities
How fast will 5G be?
It’s still not exactly known how much faster 5G will be than 4G, as much of the technology is still under development.
That being said, the networks should provide a significant upgrade to current download and upload speeds - with the GSMA proposing minimum download speeds of around 1GBps.
Most estimates expect the average speed of 5G networks to reach 10Gb/s, and some even think transfer rates could reach a whopping 800Gb/s.
This would mean that users could download a full-length HD quality film in a matter of seconds, and that downloading and installing software upgrades would be completed much faster than today.
What will a 5G network need?
The GSMA has outlined eight criteria for 5G networks, with a connection needing meet a majority of these in order to qualify as 5G:
1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field (i.e. not theoretical maximum)
