5G on a Global Scale
Right now, 5G is only available in selected regions of selected countries like Korea, the US, the UK, China, and Australia. It is also available in parts of Europe. Right now, out of all these countries, the US is the only one that has utilized the mmWave 5G technology. This means that if you reside in the US or if you are visiting there for any reason or if you are at one of the selected regions where they are implementing 5G then you will get the connectivity. If you are lucky enough to be here, you will get super-fast speed at the rate of multiple gigabytes per second as has been displayed by the companies. But with other countries like Europe and others, they are catching up fast and they will soon be on the 5G spectrum.
In 2020, quite a few countries are launching their very first 5G networks. Countries that are launching their 5G networks are Japan as well as other nations in South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Also, the countries that are going to be adopting mmWave technology in 2020 are Korea, Japan, and European Countries. Just know that you might expect some limited services in the beginning. And this is how it is going to be soon. Coverage will start from low bands until the countries launch mmWave which will greatly enhance the speed in developed and metropolitan areas.
5G global deployment
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, that will take time. For instance, India will come on the 5G bandwagon in 2021 or maybe later than that. India, as we all know, is the second-largest market for smartphones. India will begin its 5G rollout latest by 2021. The same is true for the rest of the world. They are all starting their work, but it will take them more time until they are ready to launch mmWave. Even now, in most parts of the world, 5G networks that are completely standalone are still far away. It will take these countries many years before they can achieve their dream of standalone 5G networks. What does this mean? It means that if you do have a 5G connection, it will keep changing from 5G to 4G depending on the area that you are in.
So, what does this mean for 2020?
It means that 5G networks are going to be better and much more generally used in 2020. Not just common, the speed of connectivity will also be enhanced. But if we take the global overview of 5G networks that is not as fast as we hoped it would be. Even if we take countries that have launched their 5G networks like the United States of America or the United Kingdom, we will see that there are faulty and spotty service abound. We are taking into account that they have rolled out the mmWave and 5G advanced coverage. The time when everyone, everywhere can have the same 5G connection is still a long time away.
Forget about 4G flagships
When we talk about flagship phones, we are referring to any company’s best phone yet. These are the phones that the company hopes will become the thing that will drive major revenue and build the company’s brand. For example, Samsung has the flagship phones that it launches under the Galaxy S series and as we all know, Apple has the widely famous and hugely popular iPhone series.
As companies launch 5G networks in various countries and as the coverage gets better and better, most of the flagship smartphones will be easily able to transform from a 4G network to a 5G only network. They will also be able to handle the change from 5G to 4G as they travel between different areas and vice versa. Those flagship smartphones that are launched in 2020 and they have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 will be able to handle the 5G network.
Although don’t expect a lot from every phone as some phones might not be able to handle the transition between networks. This is because even now and for later, regional 5G deployment for every area differs. This might create some confusion in 2020 but it will soon be resolved.
But rest assured, if any phones are not capable of supporting 5G then they will be rare. And one positive thing that comes out of it is that it will put pressure on the company to launch smartphones that don’t have this problem. No one wants to lose their customer base and that is motivational enough.
The Age of Affordable 5G Smartphones
Right now, as we all know, 5G supported smartphones are among the most expensive smartphones out there. In 2020, you will see this trend changing. This is all due to the inexpensive components and 5G chipsets that will enter the market. These include the Snapdragon 765 as well as the Exynos 980 and others like these. You will just have to make sure that they can support the mmWave frequency bands. You will be pleased to know that almost all the mid-tier vendors of cellular phones have already come up with plans to launch inexpensive 5G smartphones that their consumers can easily afford. These include brands like Motorola, Oppo, Nokia, and so on.
Conclusion
According to all the points we discussed earlier, there is no question about buying a 5G smartphone. If you need a smartphone on an immediate basis, go ahead but if you are not in a hurry we suggest waiting for a little while. Wait for the companies to launch their 2020 flagship phones that will be a secure investment for you.