Shulou(Shulou.com)05/31 Report--

Not surprisingly, 2019 brought the first 5G network, with these networks, there was the first 5G mobile phone. For those of us who are most data hungry, this is an exciting moment: downloads are several times faster, even in these early days. We tested 5g Murray in several places and went to Chicago (twice) for Verizon's network. For T-Mobile, we walk on the streets of New York. We even flew to Dallas to test Sprint's 5G network.

You think we can use 5G phones in all the tests, right? One like Samsung GalaxyS105G, which is sold by all four operators? Wrong. Unfortunately, the internal software of S105G has been optimized for each specific operator, which is enough. So if you change carriers, you need to pay $1300 for another one to get the new S105G. This is also the reason why there is no unlocked version of Samsung phone.

Most 5G phones are likely to be locked in the hands of one carrier, at least for the next year or two. That's why.

(before reading, we strongly recommend that you read our introductory book on 5G and our guide to all spectrum variations in the United States, as it will help you understand some of the terms we will use.)

What we want to emphasize is how different operators deal with 5G, especially the frequency and technology used. Before you accuse operators of imposing their proprietary methods on us, it is important to realize that every time they switch to next-generation wireless technology, there will always be a period of incompatibility and there may be a bit of self-interest in their work.

In the case of 2G, it is the switching from analog to digital wireless signal, while 3G is the separation of CDMA and GSM, while 4G mainly uses a single technology and different frequencies. 5G is becoming a technology and frequency issue, but this is not something the wireless industry has never experienced before. On the contrary, it is the price of early adoption.

The 5G strategy of each operator is very different, at least in the early stages of the launch. Here is the spectrum they use:

Although there are some similarities, in most cases, the strategy of each vector is completely different. This is a challenge for both equipment manufacturers and chipmakers.

Chipmakers such as Qualcomm said they were prepared to accept support from multiple operators, but delayed the question of why manufacturers in turn were operators selling locked 5G phones. Qualcomm says its 5G modem can support all "critical bands" (the most commonly used), from 6G Hz to millimeter waves. That's what its X505G modem does. It is thin Q in many 5G devices, such as Galaxy S105G and LGV50.

However, the X50 does not support all planned 5G spectrum. T-Mobile needs a phone with an X555G modem with a 600 MHz spectrum, which Qualcomm announced earlier this year. T-Mobile plans to launch the 600MHz 5G network this fall, but there is no mobile support yet.

Qualcomm is the only chipmaker that can provide such broad support for 5G. Others install radios on specific 5G devices. Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that some phones are only compatible with a single operator and may continue to exist in the near future. However, even Qualcomm's wireless phones are still limited by manufacturers, whether required by operators or chosen by them.

A Qualcomm spokesman told Digital Trends: "it really depends on the application [of the manufacturer] on the phone.

Manufacturers, let's talk about the current situation of identifying 5G mobile phones. Optimized mobile software for each specific carrier, such as Samsung galaxys 105g Murray, is currently available in all four major operators in the United States.

The phone uses Qualcomm Snapdragon855 processor and X505G modem, which provides a wide range of 5G support. In theory, the phone can already support multiple operators on a single phone, but the software is customized to prevent this. LGV50 thin Q uses the same chipset and encounters the same software lock again. The V50 or S105G sold by Verizon cannot connect to Sprint's 5G network. The lack of interoperability of 5G mobile phones is increasing, which seems to depend on the operators.

We tried to get an answer from the operator, but no one answered our question.

Now, if you buy a phone from one carrier, you can easily take it to another carrier that supports it. At present, 5G is impossible, which is a problem.

Even with the technology to make cross-carrier 5G phones, 5G is so new that most operators may want manufacturers to turn off phones temporarily. There is a simple and selfish reason: online investment.

Operators are spending billions of dollars to build their 5G network, and they want to recoup their investment. The manufacturer we are talking about did not mention any technical obstacles to achieving this goal. This means that along this road, we are likely to see unlocked 5G phones in the near future.

In addition, in the early stages of 5G, it is not entirely clear which technologies and spectrum will be the most effective. Chipmakers and manufacturers are still waiting for operators to resolve their final spectrum plans, which are still changing. So unless you have an extra $1000 or more, your best option right now may be to wait.

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