It’s been three years since the first 5G phone ever launched in Europe, and the handsets that have followed it have met with mixed reception; 5G was expected to be a revolution in mobile technology, but several years of Covid and lockdown have thrown a key in motion.
On May 1, 2019, Oppo Reno 5G landed in Switzerland. The country became an early battleground for 5G telephone companies because it was one of the first to get 5G networks earlier that year.
Oppo beat Huawei and Xiaomi, which launched its first 5G phones literally the following day, though the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and a mod for the Moto Z4 won the race to be first on other continents.
The victory was a surprise because Oppo at the time was not as big a force in Europe as it is now. With the recent year of bringing the Oppo Find X5 Pro, the OnePlus merger and major ticket sponsorships like Wimbledon, it’s easy to forget that it was pretty fresh back in 2019.
At the big European launch, subsequent launches of other 5G phones and the rollout of 5G networks throughout 2019, one thing was made clear: 5G is the future. But after using next generation connectivity technology in various phones for three years, I am not convinced that it is.
Why 5G?
5G has two key selling points: it delivers faster speeds than 4G and also promises a more reliable connection – all in theory, of course, because these factors will largely depend on your network and your location.
However, the advantages of a more stable connection are that you can download apps, movies or music on the go, as well as play online mobile games when you are on the go.
Of course, depending on the area you are in, this is all possible on 4G – but there is more. At several launches of 5G networks, it was pointed out that 4G initially seemed useless, but after several years of its existence, developers learned how to best utilize the technology. The result was apps like Instagram and Uber that had not worked well on 3G.
So in 2019, the future looked bright for 5G and I was looking forward to all the changes that could come to smartphones in the future. But that’s the future now, and I’m still waiting.
5G has not proven itself
I have been using 5G phones since the technology was launched in 2019, and tested different features on different networks in different countries on different mobiles. But when someone recently asked me if they should buy a 5G phone, I had to be honest and answer “no”.
Sure, the new thing about being able to download an episode of a TV show on the way to the tube was nice, but I never watch TV underground, so that was a redundant feature. And of course, it was quick and easy to make a video call when you were out, but I do not want to inflict my calls on other people; I’d rather save it for when I get home.
Plus, these features have worked fine over 4G. In fact, in some places where I have tested phones, 4G has been faster than 5G. So far, there are no deadly apps for 5G, and I’m still waiting for something you can not do on 4G.
Of course, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on 5G. It was intended to make the connection to the Internet on the go far more convenient; but a few years stay at home has made it far less important.
In addition, user habits have changed; The focal point of working from home and spending more time indoors has seen a resurgence of tablet use and an increase in fitness technology, making 5G a secondary concern for many people.
It is also worth pointing out that 5G modems in phones cause significant battery drain and are also expensive – which increases the price of 5G devices.
Hopefully in the future there will be apps and software that make 5G a vital technology – admittedly I said this in 2019, but three years was not enough time. Technology is not moving as fast as its biggest fan, and companies want you to believe – and by 2022, buying a 5G phone is still not a necessity.