Although the coronavirus pandemic is likely to slow down the nationwide rollout of 5G both in the UK and worldwide, the changeover will still happen. So far, it is only major cities and urban areas that have access to 5G in the UK, but more areas are being added all the time.
We have already looked at the benefits of 5G in a previous blog post, so here we are going to look at 5 5G phones that might be worth your while if you want to get onto 5G now, rather than wait. One thing to consider before we start is that with 5G being a new technology anything associated with it is naturally going to cost more. So, the prices of these phones will be higher than for corresponding 4G ones, although they will drop over time. So, without further ado, let’s get into the list.
Samsung Galaxy S20 range
Launched in Feb this year the 3 phones that make up the S20 range (S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra) are the natural replacement to last year’s S10 range, only this time all 3 have 5G as standard. The least expensive (and probably the one most people will go for) is the S20. It has 6.2” AMOLED screen that is Gorilla glass, as is the back and is held together with an aluminium frame. It has the ideal triple camera rear array setup – wide, telephoto and ultrawide – while the selfie camera is visible through a small centrally positioned pinhole. The S20 has a fast-charging 4000 mAh battery that also supports fast wireless charging. The S20 itself will set you back around £800, whilst the top of the range Ultra is nearer to £1200
Read more about the Samsung Galaxy S20
Realme X50 5G
We go from the most expensive handset on this list to the cheapest, the Realme X50 5G. Realme have been quietly gaining a reputation in China and India for building high-quality and low-cost handsets and this new 5G phone could well help them break into the more lucrative Western markets. Built of Gorilla Glass 5 front and back and an aluminium frame, it feels as premium as the S20. However, the screen is a 6.57” LCD one – not AMOLED, so some compromise here and it helps to explain why you can get two X50s for the price of one S20 and still have change. Despite this the screen has 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling. It has the perfect quad array rear camera (wide, telephoto, ultra-wide and macro) and dual selfie cameras on the front, giving it a grand total of 6. Finally, it has a big 4200 mAh battery with flash charging. All this will set you back around £350 – a bargain for a 5G phone.
Read more about the Realme X50 5G
LG V60
LG have been in the doldrums recently since falling out of the top tier of phone manufacturers a few years back. That doesn’t mean that they are producing rubbish phones though, just that some of their design choices have not fitted with the way the mainstream has been going. They are still capable of producing innovative solutions to problems, like their dual screen response to the big foldable handsets. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G, to give it its full name, is their attempt to capture market share by producing a flagship 5G phone for £700 - less than the price of the S20. For that you get a premium 6.8” P-OLED Gorilla glass screen, back and aluminium frame. A triple camera array of standard, ultrawide and TOF (depth-sensor) and a big fast-charging 5000 mAh battery. It also ships with the dual screen as standard, giving you 2 screens to play with.
Xiaomi Mi 10 5G
The Xiaomi Mi 10 5G is expected to ship for under £600 and so slips in towards the bottom end of the price range on this list. For this price you get a pretty top of the range handset. The screen is a 6.67” Super AMOLED with Gorilla Glass 5. The back is glass as well and added to the aluminium frame giving it the solid and premium feel that has come to be expected of Xiaomi phones. With a big 4780 mAh battery and 30W fast charging it has more than enough power to go all day and more. The Mi 10 5G has a quad rear array camera set up with a massive 108MP main lens, ultrawide, macro and depth. There is also a Pro version of the Mi 10 that costs a bit more (£100) but gives you a more useful telephoto lens instead of the macro one.
Read more about the Xiaomi Mi 10 5G
Oppo Find X2 Pro
The final phone on this list is the Oppo Find X2 Pro. There is also a plain X2 available, but there is not a great deal of difference between the two handsets. The Find X2 sets out to be different and offers either a vegan leather or a laser-cut ceramic back. The leather is bright orange and so is quite striking. It has 6.7” AMOLED screen with an 120Hz refresh rate The handset is powered by a 4260 mAh battery – not overly large in this day and age – but it is coupled with an amazing 65W fast charging capability. This allows you to go from 0 to 100% charge in just 38 minutes. On the camera front, it has an impressive rear triple camera array with a wide, periscope telephoto and ultrawide lenses that produce great pictures day and night. There is also a 32MP selfie camera on the front. The Pro is available for around £950, so a bit cheaper than the S20 Ultra that is up against. While the X2 is £780, similar in price to the base S20.
Read more about the Oppo Find X2 Pro
So, there you have it our list of 5 great 5G smartphones from different manufacturers, that range in price and features. There are new handsets being released all the time and as they are the prices of these 5 will no doubt drop making even the most expensive ones on the list an attractive buy.
