The new OnePlus 10 Pro 5G smartphone went on sale recently in the US and now has official certification to work on Verizon’s 5G network. Until now, the device was exclusive to T-Mobile in the United States.
Under Verizon’s 5G network, you can expect high speeds for uploading photos and videos, even in low bandwidth locations. It can also mean, depending on the 5G coverage in your area, a more stable connection and fewer random drops in quality
However, it looks like the phone will not be able to take full advantage of Verizon’s two 5G standards. A Verizon representative told TechRadar that the smartphone does not support the mmWave spectrum, only the C-Band.
Lightning fast speeds
According to Verizon, C-Band is their mid-range with speeds up to a gigabit, and it is available over a wider geographic area. The frequency can even penetrate buildings, so you never lose the impressive speeds inside a building or tunnel.
The mmWave (millimeter wave) spectrum is even faster as it has frequencies between 28 and 39GHz with almost no delay. But the signal does not go very far and it can not enter buildings as lower frequencies.
Think of the C-Band as the Goldilocks standard, because it’s just right. It has fast enough speeds with a much wider range. Plus, this loss will not really affect many people, as a 2021 report by Opensignal revealed that only 0.5 percent of Verizon customers use mmWave.
Why mmWave is not supported may be due to hardware limitations. 10 Pro runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and up to 12 GB of RAM. You would expect the 10 Pro to have high-performance benchmarks, but it really does not.
It’s actually slower than its predecessor, the OnePlus 9. On the other hand, the 10 Pro is better optimized for AI and battery, so the required power for mmWave may have been throttled for other uses.
Support programs
In addition to the 5G certification, the OnePlus 10 Pro is also part of Verizon’s Bring Your Own Device program. If you purchased your phone from another retailer or T-Mobile, use this application to switch operators. There you choose which telephone subscription you want.
And if you sign up for the unlimited subscription, you get a $ 500 gift card.