Samsung’s Galaxy S20 line goes large on 5G.
Angela Lang/CNET
Samsung’s Galaxy S20, S20 Plus and S20 Plus Extremely hit shops on Friday, March 6 and with it, the primary large 5G launch will get underway. Whereas the Galaxy S10 line from final yr was largely 4G-focused, Samsung’s S20 telephones are the primary main household of gadgets to include 5G on each US provider, and so they’re prepared from the get-go to faucet into the nation’s nascent 5G networks. Because the launch of 5G in 2019, networks have matured and 5G telephones are extra succesful because of the upgraded 5G-compatible Qualcomm chips inside them. All of the S20 telephones will assist 5G along with 4G LTE within the US on all 4 main carriers.
However that is to not say every provider will likely be getting the identical telephones or that every expertise would be the similar. Should you’re contemplating shopping for an S20 for the 5G capabilities, here is what you will have to know.
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Arms-on with the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus and S20 Extremely
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The gadgets
5G will likely be current on all types of the S20.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Samsung has three most important Galaxy S20 telephones in its lineup: the S20, S20 Plus and S20 Extremely. The telephones share many options, however one space the S20 will differ from its extra highly effective (and pricier) siblings is in terms of 5G.
Each the S20 Plus and Extremely will assist the quick millimeter-wave 5G networks deployed by Verizon, AT&T and T-Cell, in addition to the low-band and midband 5G networks that AT&T, T-Cell and Dash use.
Verizon plans to launch 5G on different bands this yr however has but to specify precisely when. Its S20 telephones must be able to utilizing these bands when accessible.
It is a break from Samsung’s first 5G gadgets — the S10 5G and Observe 10 Plus 5G — which both supported simply millimeter-wave 5G or low-band and midband 5G, because of limitations with Qualcomm’s first 5G modem. With Qualcomm’s new X55 modem and newest Snapdragon 865 processor, these limitations go away.
The S20 for AT&T, Dash and T-Cell, in the meantime, will solely assist the low- and midband 5G networks and lack the chips essential to faucet into the millimeter-wave networks.
Verizon may have a particular model of the S20 that works on millimeter-wave and low- and midband 5G, nevertheless it will not be accessible till the second quarter.
The rear of the Galaxy S20.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The carriers
AT&T
AT&T may have all 4 new Galaxy telephones, together with the three S20 variations.
The S20 will work on its low-band 5G community, what AT&T calls merely “5G,” whereas the Plus and Extremely will work on that community in addition to the millimeter-wave “5G Plus” service that the provider has turned on in components of 35 cities.
AT&T is increasing its 5G low-band market depend on Tuesday to coincide with the Galaxy S20 information, to deliver its whole record as much as 45 markets.
Along with 5G and 5G Plus (on the S20 Plus and Extremely), as talked about above all of AT&T’s S20 telephones will nonetheless assist 4G LTE, which it calls “5GE.”
Plans: To make the most of any AT&T 5G service, you’ll need to additionally subscribe to AT&T Limitless Additional or Elite plans.
Verizon
Verizon solely at the moment gives 5G over millimeter-wave (what it calls “ultra-wideband”) and as such will solely offer the millimeter-wave succesful S20 Plus and Extremely at launch, not the bottom S20.
Though it’s unclear when precisely Verizon will activate its low-band 5G, the S20 Plus and Extremely will be capable to assist it when it does go browsing.
That particular model of the bottom S20 with assist for millimeter-wave and low-band 5G is coming within the second quarter of the yr.
Plans: Verizon contains 5G with its Play Extra, Do Extra and Get Extra limitless plans. These on its most cost-effective Begin limitless plan might want to pay $10 extra a month for 5G, which brings it to the identical worth because the Do Extra or Play Extra plans.
T-Cell
T-Cell’s 5G technique is trickier due partly to its merger with Dash.
The provider may have all three S20 telephones, together with the low- and midband-only S20, which should not be an issue for T-Cell, because it has a nationwide 5G community on its 600MHz low-band spectrum.
The S20 Plus and Extremely, in the meantime, will likely be able to tapping into these 5G networks in addition to the millimeter-wave service T-Cell has turned on in a handful of cities.
All three telephones, like T-Cell’s earlier 5G telephones final yr, will be capable to work with Dash’s 5G midband community as soon as the still-pending merger goes via.
Plans: T-Cell doesn’t require any particular plans to make use of 5G.
Dash
Like its merger associate, Dash will carry all three S20 telephones. With its midband 5G community, Dash’s S20 telephones will supply an excellent mixture of 5G protection and pace will increase, although the rollout of its new community has largely stalled on the 9 cities it launched final summer time. Moreover, for the Tremendous Bowl Dash additionally turned on 5G in some components of Miami and has stored the community lively, even when it does not formally record Miami on its 5G web site.
Though the provider’s earlier 5G gadgets had been introduced to be appropriate with T-Cell’s millimeter-wave 5G, it’s unclear for the time being if the S20 telephones will assist that and/or T-Cell’s low-band 5G community. CNET has reached out to Dash for remark and can replace once they reply.
Plans: Dash requires 5G customers to be on its Limitless Premium or Limitless Plus plans.
Initially printed Feb. 11.
Replace, Mar. 2: Provides up to date particulars on the S20 launch.
