There has been much talk the past few years about 5G. Now that it’s finally getting closer to a reality between having both the service and phones with the capability, do you plan to get a 5G-enabled smartphone in 2020?
Our Opinion
Elsie plans to get a new smartphone, she knows that for sure, “But as far as 5G, that largely depends on my service provider.” She likes the advantages that 5G brings, or at least promises to, but she also feels there are pertinent drawbacks that can’t be wished away, like potential harm to the environment. Otherwise, she looks forward to an awesome 2020!
David doesn’t think he will at this point. The networks are largely still unproven, as is battery life for 5G devices. “Most importantly, I’ll wait until Apple releases a 5G device.” He knows they won’t rush to market with it and will instead release the 5G lineup when there aren’t issues with battery life.
Miguel doesn’t generally transfer a large amount of data from his phone, “So 4G is enough for me.” In fact, even traditional HSDPA networks are fine.
Phil “won’t be upgrading my phone until this one dies or is no longer supported by the OS.” Admittedly, he lags behind current trends by two or three versions at least because of income, and he’s learned a few things about buying things on an early adoption. He uses the most modern iPhone that runs the current iOS, and when his phone stops being supported, he upgrades to a secondhand or refurbished unit of the next one in the line. He doesn’t mind what others think of his outdated tech.
Ryan also won’t be upgrading to a 4G-enabled phone in the near future. “I just don’t use mobile data enough to think it would have much of an impact on my overall experience.” Like Miguel, he doesn’t tend to transfer large volumes of data over cellular, so it’s not a big priority. He feels 5G will probably be faster and more stable there in Australia than NBN, so he may consider switching to a home 5G solution.
Andrew definitely won’t be upgrading. “4G is more than enough speed for me when the signal is good, and I don’t feel any need at all to upgrade.” His computer does most of the heavy lifting of data, and he believes 5G will probably be overpriced and not very widespread the first few years.
Sayak explained “the moment I’m getting 5G speeds, I’ll first use it for a home Internet solution because that’s where the download speeds come in real handy.” He consumes most of his 4G data through using his phone as a hotspot and would do the same with a 5G-enabled smartphone. He’s not opposed to the idea of 5G-ready smartphones, and his purchase decisions are mostly impulse-driven, so 5G is on the radar for him.
Like Elsie, I plan on buying a new phone in 2020 regardless. My iPhone 7 will be four years old. 5G won’t matter, as my phone will be so much newer it will be faster anyway. Also, I don’t run much data with my iPhone and leave that to my iPad that does not have a cellular connection. But I won’t turn away from a 5G-enabled phone either.
Your Opinion
Where do you fit with all this? Are you eagerly awaiting 5G, or do you plan on hanging back and letting everyone else try it first? Do you plan to get a 5G-enabled smartphone in 2020? Tell us in the comments.
Laura has spent nearly 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with more than 10 of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past three decades. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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