5G: Is It Worth All the Hype?

Guest contributor Patrick Bailer explains what 5G is all about and what you can expect upon its launch. 

Okay, I admit it, when I first heard someone say something about 5g networks, I was like what? I thought 4g and 4g LTE was all the rage, isn’t that still fairly new? After a quick google search, I realized that it was nearly a decade ago that 3g was surpassed by 4g and soon after 4g LTE. Let’s be honest, some of us have no idea what any of that even means, other than possibly faster internet speeds. For those of us who need a little hand in this department, here’s what all the 5g hype is about and what you can expect upon launch time.

First, the “G” stands for generation, and the “LTE” stands for Long term evolution. When it comes to mobile telecommunications, fifth-generation is the next chapter. According to one tech-savvy website, “5G technology needs to be specified, developed, and deployed by a variety of industry players, including network equipment vendors, network operators, semiconductor vendors, device manufacturers, and electronic test-and-measurement equipment makers.”

Of course, what that translates to for the rest of non-tech-savvy folk is questions about what the 5G network launch will mean for all our current products and services. We could find major new technology in anything from our phones to the next generation vehicles. So, what exactly will be the major differences in actual technologies between the 4G LTE and the 5G? Here’s a look at how technology will develop from the last generation to this one.

Supply and Demand

If the makers want 5G to be a success then the first thing you can expect is to make good on the demands of the market, right? Currently, there are two specific trends 5G developers are looking to fulfil. One refers to the internet of things (IoT), the place where smart devices communicate with one another online, in seriously dense numbers. The second is that 5G development is experiencing rapid investment because demand is high for new capabilities when it comes to wireless broadband networks.

People all over the globe are obsessed with the latest content, they want streaming, movies, music, video, and other content reliably, quickly, and without any hiccups.

That’s why 5G developers are going to have to kick it into high gear to create a network that provides much higher bandwidth capacities than we’re currently used to with 4G and 4G LTE. You’ll also find:

• Mobile broadband users at much higher densities
• Device to device service will gain huge reliability
• Massive machine communication capabilities

When will 5G hit the market?

The earliest developers of 5G have already been putting 5G to the test since early 2018 but that doesn’t mean it’s readily available for everyone to use yet. CNBC found out that AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are already making promises to put out 5G capable phones in the first half of this year while T-Mobile isn’t far behind, promising launch in 2020.

Curious to find out what the 5G network is really going to bring to the table? Most consumers can expect a longer battery life (Hallelujah!) along with faster data capabilities. Of course, in the earliest days of the rollout, you should keep in mind that 2019 is only going to provide limited network availability.

If you’re an iPhone lover and not looking to switch over to Android, you can expect to wait till 2020 before Apple unveils its support of the 5G network. It’s all super exciting, that’s for sure. Even though it was nearly a decade ago, I remember the huge difference it made going from the 3G network to the 4G. But, don’t whip out your wallet yet!

Get in line or wait it out?

If you’re one of those people that must have the latest tech on pre-order and waiting in hefty lines to pick up early, it may not be worth the time or cost. The thing is, even the first 5G phones out aren’t going to offer that great of an improvement if you’re not in one of the small handful of markets that’s ready for 5G right now.

Plus, let’s get real here. When was the last time you were doing anything you normally do, scrolling on Instagram, watching Netflix, or beefing up your Spotify playlist and legitimately had an issue with your download speeds or had any “buffering” in your streaming? I had to throw some air quotes in there because I probably haven’t seen the “buffering” lag on any screen I’ve handled in at least 7 or 8 years.

Let’s all take a cue from Apple, who typically waits for an additional year to roll out iPhone that support the next new latest network. You may as well wait for the markets to mature, for more than a select couple of devices to be released, and for everyone else to test out the products and services while helping to work out any glitches. 5G is certainly on its way and in the next couple of years we won’t be able to look back, so the hype is real but, it can also totally wait.

Looking for the best accessories to complement your mobile phone? Then head to our website now to view our full range of products. 

Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. Patrick is currently a writer for Mountain Springs Recovery as well as on his own blog.