Will Samsung S20 FE Unlocked work with Verizon 5g at a lower band than UW?

[Android Central Question]

Okay, so I know this variant won't work with the Verizon UW band, but will it work if Verizon uses lower bands?
I live in a really rural area of Missouri where my only choice of consistent data is from Verizon, I'm fine with it not supporting UW but from the wording on Samsung's website, it seems the unlocked 5G variant will only be compatible with 4G LTE using Verizon, is this true?

 

[KPMcClave]

Okay, so I know this variant won't work with the Verizon UW band, but will it work if Verizon uses lower bands?
I live in a really rural area of Missouri where my only choice of consistent data is from Verizon, I'm fine with it not supporting UW but from the wording on Samsung's website, it seems the unlocked 5G variant will only be compatible with 4G LTE using Verizon, is this true?

That was true, and will be true a little longer for the unlocked version of the FE.

Since the release of the FE, Verizon flipped the switch on its "nationwide 5G." It has far better coverage than UW 5G (and isn't as fast).

The Verizon version of the phone received a firmware update to activate access to "nationwide 5G," but I don't think the unlocked version has received that update as yet.

 

[mustang7757]

I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply
https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[Travisious007]

This is OP, thank you so much for the detailed response! So if I'm understanding right, the unlocked variant has a chance to use lower and mid band 5G, specifically from Verizon, once that rolls out eventually? If that's correct then I'll probably just stick with the unlocked one, rather than return it for the Verizon variant.
Once again thank you so much for answering this question, I've been looking everywhere for answers, really appreciate it!

 

[Umass021]

Do we know when the unlocked version will get the update?

 

[KPMcClave]

This is OP, thank you so much for the detailed response! So if I'm understanding right, the unlocked variant has a chance to use lower and mid band 5G, specifically from Verizon, once that rolls out eventually? If that's correct then I'll probably just stick with the unlocked one, rather than return it for the Verizon variant.
Once again thank you so much for answering this question, I've been looking everywhere for answers, really appreciate it!

We aren't cerrtain if the unlocked version supports mmWave, UW, 5G. There has been confliciting info from Verizon and Samsung reps, and there seems no definitive online resource for the answer. For a number of reasons, given what I've researched, I don't believe the unlocked FE will veer be able to support UW 5G. That's my educated guess, though.

It will absolutely support the lowband "nationwide 5G" right now...if you had the firmware update and there's coverage where you live. Since you have LTE coverage, you should be able to grab 5G because it's built on the LTE backbone. You just need that update.

 

[KPMcClave]

Do we know when the unlocked version will get the update?

I haven't seen any rumblings about it. I would guess with your next update, whenever that is.

 

[buzzy3970]

Verizon doesn't have mid bands. Only T-Mobile, but they do have high(UWB) and the low mm waves.

This is OP, thank you so much for the detailed response! So if I'm understanding right, the unlocked variant has a chance to use lower and mid band 5G, specifically from Verizon, once that rolls out eventually? If that's correct then I'll probably just stick with the unlocked one, rather than return it for the Verizon variant.
Once again thank you so much for answering this question, I've been looking everywhere for answers, really appreciate it!