Is 5g worth it...yet?

Richard_16v · 15 Apr 2020 at 18:36

So I'm looking at a new phone, got my eye on the realme x2 Pro, but I keep wondering if 5g could take off in the next 2 years and make me regret getting a 4g phone. The realme x50 is out soon but the price looks higher than the x2 so I feel I'd be paying for 5g when unlikely to use 5g before upgrading again!

What are peoples thoughts? Is 5g likely to get wider coverage at a similar £/gb as 4g in the next year?

Squink · 15 Apr 2020 at 18:47

If you just browse the Internet and download a bit of music, 5g will never be worth a price premium over 4g.

5g is an advancement we don't really need in mobile phones at the moment, but rest assured there are lots of big companies who want you to believe otherwise.

Richard_16v · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:06

The marketing brainwashing is obviously working on me as I hadn't even thought of whether I need it

I think the realme x2 Pro could be the answer then, my wife will be pleased I'm buying new gadgets but my old p20 Pro battery is terrible now!

something daft already!! · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:11

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It can be a bit hit or miss but I did get an impressive result on 13/03, nearly 3 times that of my home Virgin Media broadband and about 20x faster than a standard DSL line.

This costs no more than 4G.

chroniclard · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:17

Depends on your usage. 5g pointless for me as just don't use enough data or require the speeds.

GMac11 · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:20

For me I think the most tangible benefit will be decreased latency and ability for it to function in large crowds - if the hype is to be believed. I have 4g broadband for the house (which by the way was only installed in my area last year so I'll not expect 5g for a decade!) and the only downside to it is online gaming. With lower latency I would like to think 5g would fix that.

xb8browney · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:20

As I've said before, 5g has been used in a few areas that I would normally struggle to get a 4g signal. So for me it's been great.

Squink · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:30

xb8browney said:
As I've said before, 5g has been used in a few areas that I would normally struggle to get a 4g signal. So for me it's been great.

But they could fix that by investing more in 4g. In a few years from now when they're rolling out 6g (download an 8k video in 2 minutes!!) you might be complaining about the same gaps in 5g coverage.

xb8browney · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:43

Why would the networks invest in 4g when 5g is being rolled out.

Squink · 15 Apr 2020 at 20:16

xb8browney said:
Why would the networks invest in 4g when 5g is being rolled out.

I wasn't saying they should. If they'd invested enough in 4g in the first place you wouldn't have had those gaps. Who's to say you won't find those gaps in 5g coverage, only in different places?

Troezar · 15 Apr 2020 at 20:48

xb8browney said:
Why would the networks invest in 4g when 5g is being rolled out.

Because 5G has disadvantages as well as higher speed. Just like those superfast routers that have issues with connections a few rooms away. I can't see the average user needing or getting full use out of 5G for many years.

Efour · 16 Apr 2020 at 03:02

It might be fast but think of your increased risk of covid19?

Troezar · 16 Apr 2020 at 10:20

Efour said:
It might be fast but think of your increased risk of covid19?

Lol, I shouldn''t laugh really, quite dangerous that in this day and age people think electromagnetic waves can give you a biological virus! Maybe they think a computer virus and a biological virus are the same? Wouldn't surprise me.

unwashed potato! · 16 Apr 2020 at 11:41

I saw a 5g Vodafone deal of 60gb, unlimited text and calls for £20 per month but with auto cash back it worked out £12.50 per month. I checked 5g in my area and there isn't any so decided maybe another year wait is the best idea

Participant · 16 Apr 2020 at 18:25

Biggest advantage of mobile broadband is when we can ditch cables and get ubiquitous broadband.

Squink · 16 Apr 2020 at 18:28

Participant said:
Biggest advantage of mobile broadband is when we can ditch cables and get ubiquitous broadband.

Will we ever fully replace the reliability of a wired connection though?

Participant · 16 Apr 2020 at 18:30

Squink said:
Will we ever fully replace the reliability of a wired connection though?

Not sure, but I don't see why it can't eventually be good enough to at least poach large market share from fibre companies.

Surely the long-term infrastructure costs are lower than cables.

ttaskmaster · 16 Apr 2020 at 18:49

Richard_16v said:
Is 5g likely to get wider coverage at a similar £/gb as 4g in the next year?

Nope.
5G coverage will cost an absolute bomb... mainly because we keep burning down the masts.

DataVampire · 18 Apr 2020 at 06:50

does it not cost more to roll out 5g i am sure i saw a you tube vid of 5g installers wearing haz mat suits. Not to mention equipment costs and also possible political ramification ie the equipment manufacturer and possibly having to reinstall it using a diff manufacturer and even the health of workers installing it ?

jrwagh333 · 18 Apr 2020 at 10:52

Where I live 4G spectrum is so crammed that it doesn't work. I switch back to 3G and it's perfectly fine.

When 4G does work for me, the speed is more than fats enough for zero buffering.