Ready for 5G? Your next smartphone MUST have these features

tech.hindustantimes.com:

You must have seen 5G imprinted on your phone's box since years now but India is finally getting ready to welcome the next generation network. 5G promises faster internet connectivity along with better connection reliability and a much wider bandwidth to accommodate more people. Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea are expected to rollout their 5G service later this year and when that happens, you have to be ready. 5G will be a game-changer for those who solely rely on mobile data for their daily dose of internet.

But wait! Do you think having a 5G smartphone is enough to get the next-gen experience? Think again! There are different flavours of 5G and your phone may not be able to support all of it. It depends on the chosen hardware and various other factors. Hence, if you want to get ready for 5G networks and are looking to invest in a 5G ready smartphone, these are the points you need to keep in mind.

This is not an issue with expensive phones but if your budget is limited to less than Rs. 25,000, you need to check whether your phone's chipset supports 5G modem. Avoid phones that have chipsets like the Snapdragon 680, Snapdragon 732G, Snapdragon 860, MediaTek Helio G96 and the likes. For iPhones, avoid models such as the iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2nd Gen, iPhone 11 Pro, and older models. Always cross check with the company website as to whether your phone supports 5G. If there's 5G, your phone box will boldly mention it.

Having a 5G chip isn't enough. Your phone needs to have as many 5G bands as possible. This should help with better network performance.

Smartphone models launched over a year ago should be avoided. They may technically support 5G but there will be limited support for bands and could be slower by today's standards.