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.HOW ABOUT THE HANDSETS?
If you’ve motored through the main feature,
you’ll know that 5G is about way more than
putting gigabits of bandwidth in your pocket,
but that’s still one of the most immediate
benefits. So, which 5G-capable handsets can
you buy right now?
Arguably the default option is the Samsung
Galaxy S10 5G, available on Verizon, Sprint,
and T-Mobile. It’s a 6.7-inch beast with the
same CPU and three of the same cameras as
the regular Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, but adds
depth-sensing time-of-flight sensors front and
back. Nice. The catch? It’s $1,299 for the 256GB
version and $1,399 for the 512GB model. Ouch.
Next is LG’s V50 ThinQ 5G, available from
Sprint for $1,152. It’s a 6.4-incher with a notch-
style display, three cameras on the back, and
6GB of RAM. And that’s it, bar pairing a Moto Z3
or Z4 with the 5G Moto Mod, which is a kludge.
By the end of 2019, a whole slew of handsets will be available, including
the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Oppo Reno 5G, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, and more.
As for Apple, rumor has it that its annual September refresh of
handsets this year will not include 5G support. If so, that’s not a huge
surprise. Going back to the very first iPhone, which launched with
2.5G support, despite 3G services already being in existence, Apple
has always taken a conservative approach to adopting new network
technology. For most consumers, that probably makes sense. By the time
5G becomes widely available, Apple will have compatible handsets.The first full 5G
handset: Samsung’s
Galaxy S10.are about to change lanes on the highway before
that begins to happen. The benefits to everything
from traffic flow to safety are obvious enough.
On a more personal level, 5G-powered IoT
gadgets will likely include smart clothing,
prosthetic devices, and even ingestible health
monitors. Here’s one potential real-world example
to consider. A start-up based in Utah, known
as Veristride, has been working on smart shoe
technology since 2012. What on earth is a smart
shoe useful for? The feedback from its sensors canbe used to do everything from helping people learn
to walk again following major surgery or a stroke to
predicting the onset of a serious illness based on
nuanced changes in their movement.
The list of emerging applications is immense
when you combine the Internet of Things with
5G. Connected crime reporting, smart street
lights, air quality sensors, parking spaces, garbage
collection, home security and automation, factories
with unprecedented levels of production oversight
and efficiency—you name it, it’s coming. And,
yes, the refrigerator that reorders groceries when
they run out is on the list, too.UP TO SPEED
So, now we know how 5G works. We know what it’s
good for, and how it is and could be used. But what
do we know about its real-world performance?
Speed is one of the main selling points of 5G
technology, but how fast is it? Inevitably, there is
no simple answer. But there is plenty of hype. The
sales pitch for 5G involves claims of speeds of at
least 10 gigabits per second, making it about 100
times faster than standard 4G, and 30 times quicker
even than upgraded 4G tech, such as LTE-A.
At launch, operators in the US are making
much more modest claims. Think very low single
digits in gigabits per second, and you’ll have the
right idea. That’s still a very nice upgrade over the
circa 100Mb/s of a conventional 4G connection.
Of course, there are several 5G networks already
in operation in US cities. So, early performance
figures are available. Independent tests of AT&T’s
limited-availability network in Los Angeles
returned figures of around 1.8Gb/s, while Verizon’s
more fully functioning and consumer-available
service in Chicago was a little lower at 1.3Gb/s.
To put a tangible spin on the fastest of those
speeds, you’re looking at a 2GB file download in
under 30 seconds. Or you could download multiple
episodes of your favorite Netflix show in under a
minute. Of course, the reality of 5G, just like any
network generation, is that when it comes to speed,
your mileage will vary. Among the early reviews ofFor 5G networks, large
cell towers, like this,
will be augmented by
smaller millimeter
wave cells.Coated heat-
efficient glass poses
a problem for 5G
connectivity.the 5G dream
48 MAXIMUMPC SEP 2019 maximumpc.com