5G in The USA

[debdroid1a]

Anyone on tmobile in the USA have a 5G phone? Just curious how it's working for you.

I don't know if there are any just thought I'd get a discussion started.

Please include brand of phone. And operating system if you know.

 

[pkcable]

As I understand it, the only supported phones are the OnePlus 7T, McLaren, and the Samsung Note 10 5G.

 

[RicKaysen]

I have the Galaxy S10 5G. I bought it for the other features besides the 5G which I understood going in that it was limited and a different technology will be used in future. I live in Las Vegas which has a big T-Mobile presence and 5G is indicated on the phone in the few areas where there's a signal. That 5G footprint hasn't expanded as I had hoped. It remains active in only a few discreet areas of the city. I'll be buying the Galaxy S11 again for features other than 5G but it would be nice if T-Mobile made good on its promised coverage. 5G is still in its infancy and, so far, I haven't discovered an actual use for it on a phone. When a home 5G hub becomes a reality for streaming video, that will be a game changer.

 

[TechBob]

Anyone on tmobile in the USA have a 5G phone? Just curious how it's working for you.

I don't know if there are any just thought I'd get a discussion started.

Please include brand of phone. And operating system if you know.

I have the Note 10 Plus 5G (runs Android 10 out of the box). I bought it to test the newly turned on low band 5G. The earlier S10 Plus 5G is a high band (mmWave) only phone. The chance of my seeing mmWave 5G is none. I still don't have cable! 5G based on mmWave needs micro cells every every block. The build out cost is enormous. It all sounds interesting on paper, but the reality just isn't there. In part, that is why AT&T and T-Mobile are building out low band 5G. T-Mobile using 600 Mhz Band 71 and AT&T with 850 Mhz.

With all that said, I have been driving around my area specifically to measure the reality of T-Mobile's 5G. Area: Chicago far west suburbs. I am by no means done, but I have to say so far, call me unimpressed. I am an IT consultant and right now, my advice will be, wait. With a couple of exceptions where I hit over 100 Mbps (once 215 Mbps), for the most part I am seeing 30 -40 Mbps. The thing is, that is what I normally see in most of those areas on 4G LTE. I did see about 20 Mbps improvement at a client site today.

For me personally, the most frustrating thing is that, according to the detailed coverage map, my home is smack in the middle of 5G. But there is no 5G here. 2 blocks from here, yes. But none here.

I have spoken to T-Mobile about this, put in a ticket about this Saturday (which has not yet been looked at as of today, Tuesday) and the call back today said essentially that they are still building out their network. I reminded them that true or not, their map does not show that. It clearly shows it is here, but it is not. Similarly, Saturday I drove around a large city that shows 5G on the map and did not get a 5G signal anywhere except just as I was getting gas next to the highway ramp. There I got 5G and it is there I got 215 Mbps!

Hope this helps!

 

[usguyver]

I have the Galaxy S10 5G. I bought it for the other features besides the 5G which I understood going in that it was limited and a different technology will be used in future. I live in Las Vegas which has a big T-Mobile presence and 5G is indicated on the phone in the few areas where there's a signal. That 5G footprint hasn't expanded as I had hoped. It remains active in only a few discreet areas of the city. I'll be buying the Galaxy S11 again for features other than 5G but it would be nice if T-Mobile made good on its promised coverage. 5G is still in its infancy and, so far, I haven't discovered an actual use for it on a phone. When a home 5G hub becomes a reality for streaming video, that will be a game changer.

I believe your current phone accesses the either millimeter wave or some of the mid-band spectrum. I have the 1 + 70 McLaren edition and I get 5G almost everywhere around Los Angeles. Oh this is using that low-band spectrum the 5G phones currently are compatible with their mid and high bands

 

[debdroid1a]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Keep them coming. I'm finding this all interesting. I still have the Note 9 for now.

 

[bkeaver]

With my current LTE speeds I'm really not seeing any benefit of T-Mobile 5G service at the moment.

 

[Almeuit]

With my current LTE speeds I'm really not seeing any benefit of T-Mobile 5G service at the moment.

At the moment 5g is nothing for any carrier unless in a real specific spot.

Go back years ago and people said what you said above from 3g to LTE.

 

[bkeaver]

At the moment 5g is nothing for any carrier unless in a real specific spot.

Go back years ago and people said what you said above from 3g to LTE.

I'm well aware. I was just making the point that rushing out to get a 5G phone isn't really ground breaking at this time.

 

[anon(50597)]

I'm well aware. I was just making the point that rushing out to get a 5G phone isn't really ground breaking at this time.

I agree. It’s just a marketing gimmick at the moment. The “need” for 5g won’t come for a while.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I'm well aware. I was just making the point that rushing out to get a 5G phone isn't really ground breaking at this time.

I agree. I didn't go ahead and buy an LTE phone until real LTE actually existed where I live.

 

[pkcable]

I have an LG V50 5G, but it only gets 5G in South Korea! lol

 

[monty Stinson]

I am in Orlando, no 5G in sight, but I am getting speeds of 78.9 and 10.9. Most of Florida is left out by all the carriers. I have the S20 Ultra.

 

[RicKaysen]

S20 Ultra here in Las Vegas. Sadly, speeds in my house are so-so around 40mbps but testing when out and about show downloads in the hundreds. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when we get some of that Sprint infrastructure.