The 5G networks are growing. But the spread of 5G smartphones seems to be progressing even faster. Presumably, the majority of mobile phone users will have a 5G mobile phone sooner than a 5G contract.
5G capability is not yet an absolute must for new smartphones: in many power supply units, fifth-generation mobile communications (5G) is still technically dependent on fourth-generation mobile communications (LTE). In addition, most mobile phone customers are still left out in their tariffs for 5G use anyway, reports the telecommunications portal “Teltarif.de”.
On the other hand, 5G technology will probably still be found in smartphones in almost all price ranges in 2022. It wasn’t long ago that 5G-enabled smartphones slipped below the price mark of 200 euros for the first time. The 150 euro mark should soon be undershot and 5G established even in entry-level smartphones.
Price war in 5G processors
The reason for this is given by the industry journal “Digitimes“: An emerging price war between the two largest manufacturers of 5G-enabled smartphone processors, Mediatek and Qualcomm. It is foreseeable that they undercut each other with the chip prices in the course of the second quarter. Because cell phone manufacturers also have large inventories of 5G processors due to falling smartphone demand.
This constellation could also mean that mid-range smartphones become even cheaper or are more often equipped with more powerful 5G chips that were previously reserved for upper-range devices.
Also read: Many 5G smartphones have problems transmitting via 5G
What 5G contracts are there?
But what good is the fastest, 5G-capable device without a 5G network and contract? All network operators now offer 5G networks, i.e. Telekom, Vodafone and O2 (Telefónica). In addition, 1&1 will set up its own 5G network. The corresponding fixed-term contracts are priced at around 30 euros per month and upwards.
Prepaid contracts with a 5G option are available from Telekom and Vodafone from around 20 euros per month. With cheaper prepaid contracts, you have to pay about 3 euros extra per month for 5G. Depending on the tariff, a time-limited, free 5G test is also possible. With the “O2 test card”, O2 offers a 30-day, non-binding test run for 5G. The mobile phone discounters are still left out when it comes to 5G.
Also read: The 5 best smartphones for transmitting in the 5G network
What can 5G do?
And what is so special about 5G now? In short: 5G networks offer very high bandwidths, so they can transmit data extremely quickly. Another advantage is the low response time (low latency).
At the moment, however, the majority of 5G networks in Germany are not yet independent, explains “Teltarif.de”. Rather, 5G usually complements the existing LTE networks. This combination offers higher data transmission speeds than pure LTE networks. Combined networks, for example, still lack the short response time, since this is only possible in stand-alone 5G networks.