Based on materials from androidcentral.com
Judging by the noise around the technology 5G, it is destined for another must-have. But is it worth it to rush to acquire it, especially considering that so far 5G is going through its 'childhood'? Let's see what advantages the technology promises, who can benefit from it, and for whom it doesn't make sense to think about it yet.
Five reasons why 5G is not needed
Lack of coverage
There is not a single commercial network in Russia yet 5G. And even when they appear, it is far from the fact that in your place of permanent residence. How 4G once, 5G will get everywhere, but this will take time, and how long this process will take is still unknown. At the moment, at the government level, it has only been decided to create a commission of representatives of interested companies and departments, which will determine the pilot areas of operation of new networks in the 3.4-3.8 GHz range.
In our country, there is still no specific model for the development of networks 5G. The problem of clearing the frequencies occupied mainly by the special services and the military remains urgent. However, Russian cities with a population of one million have already been designated as pilot zones for the development of networks 5G, but they promise a stable coverage 5G by 2024. So it is clearly premature to talk about the readiness of the ecosystem.
Poor building penetration by high frequency 5G
The most impressive results for 5G are seen in millimeter waves. It is ultra-high frequency 5G capable of delivering speeds well in excess of 1 GB / s. But the problem is that you need to be close to the tower or better in line of sight from it. While there, where networks 5G are already working, there is a situation when you have 5G in some place, and then you go around the corner of the building, and it disappears. This 5G makes no sense.
The emergence of better chipsets in the future
There is no doubt that better and more efficient hardware will be available over time. For example, in the US, all currently available 5G enabled devices, from hotspots to phones, use the outdated Qualcomm X50 modem. At the same time, the development of a new X55 modem with better signal reception capabilities, more efficient design and a higher maximum data rate was completed. The X50 in today's phones is fast enough, but soon the same manufacturer will have something even faster and more energy efficient. What can we say about the possibility of new solutions from other chipset manufacturers. It is impossible to predict how long these early developments will linger in the market.
Not enough supported smartphones 5G
Only a few of the available models currently support 5G, and while they are quite expensive or require considerable improvements, there is a good chance that the smartphone most suitable for you does not support at all 5G. Moreover, you will not find support 5G in the budget segment, and this immediately sweeps aside a significant part of users. So, when purchasing a new device in 2019, and possibly in 2020, you should not include support 5G in the list of required requirements.
You will still have to use LTE
If you try to imagine who might need ultra-fast data transmission outdoors over a large area, one of the most likely scenarios is content creation and streaming, requiring the ability to upload high-definition photos and videos in a short amount of time, or the ability to stream 4K in real time. . However, downloads can still get stuck on 4G LTE networks, so there may be no real benefit.
Summing up the subtotal …
Most of us are waiting for 5G to appear where we spend most of our time – at work and at home. But modern 4G LTE and Wi-Fi cover most of our needs. Therefore, there is currently no point in trying to switch to 5G. When networks 'mature' and cover most of the area where you use your phone, the technology will become really useful – but this is a question of the coming years, not today. However, this is not a question of the distant future. Perhaps the new generation of networks will be useful to someone literally from the very first day of its launch in Russia.
Five reasons why 5G is needed
You live in a city with good coverage
Returning to the question of test implementation zones 5G in our country, it is easy to assume that it is residents of cities with a population of over one million who will be the first to experience all of its advantages – higher data transmission speed and faster response than in current 4G networks talking about consistency and continuity versus moving between Wi-Fi hotspots.
Your new device will stay relevant longer
Most users who purchase a new smartphone expect at least a couple of years of its operation. And since adoption 5G is just around the corner, owning a device that lets you experience that advantage makes a lot of sense. With a phone that only supports 4G, you may later find yourself in a situation where you pay for communication services that you cannot fully use. For those who fear that their newly acquired smartphones will become obsolete in a few months, there are devices like the Galaxy S10 5G or LG V50 ThinQ 5G, and these are some of the fastest and most advanced Android smartphones today. By purchasing a smartphone with support for 5G today, even without access to 5G, you can be confident that powerful hardware like Qualcomm's X50 modem will give you the best possible 4G LTE experience while you will wait for 5G.
5G is technically superior to 4G
If you are among the users of the technology 5G, it means that you are connected to the most modern and powerful wireless network available. With 4G LTE Advanced, you will be able to reap many of the benefits 5G, but with a large lag, and you will not be able to take advantage of newer technologies such as Edge computing when they become available. The lag will be felt, for example, when switching between many different applications that require a constant connection to the network. The extra milliseconds that are required to establish a 4G LTE connection can come into play if you are a heavy user.
Cloud technologies
Many of us can no longer imagine life without the benefits of cloud technologies. Save space on your smartphone, and by offloading apps and saving files to the cloud, your digital life becomes less cluttered. 5G can give you access to these files with less latency and allow you to work from multiple devices, and also reduce the load on the local machine.
When data transfer becomes a limited resource, it greatly affects the efficiency of the device. When you don't have to worry about speed, you can get the most out of your device without worrying about connection. New smartphones have excellent high-resolution displays, and when, with 5G, you have enough speed to transfer Full HD and 4K video, this benefit can be fully experienced.
At the forefront of progress
Who, if not our readers, loves to constantly be at the forefront of technology development? The fastest connection possible is the path to a richer user experience. And the more of our experience we transfer from our home computer to our smartphone or laptop, the more important a fast connection is.
Summing up the final …
In any case, a new technology only makes sense if you can use it. With the advent of full 5G coverage, those who need to transfer large amounts of data and / or minimize any delays will have a new experience in their daily life. The train called 5G has already picked up speed. Are you in a hurry to get a ticket for it, or are you still comfortable watching him from the platform?