Verizon had plans to roll out its 5G mobile services in select parts of Minneapolis and Chicago on April 11, but the leading telecom enterprise suddenly activated its 5G services a week early.
Now, Verizon customers having 5G-capable smartphones can experience faster speeds as promised for the next-gen network. However, as of now, Motorola Moto Z3, which was launched in August 2018, is the only 5G-capable smartphone in the market, thanks to its powerful 5G Moto Mod, which is being rolled out today.
The Mod had been available for preorder on Motorola’s official website since long; however, it isn’t available there just yet. Earlier, Verizon announced the availability of Mod in its outlets as well as on their official website for $199 (roughly £151) on discount, which is generally pegged at around $349 in retail. However, you will need to be a Verizon subscriber to purchase a 5G Mod.
While leading telecom operators have hyped 5G to achieve superfast download speeds of up to 1 Gpbs, Verizon has lowered that expectation by promising download speeds of up to 450 Mbps on an average, though that is likely to get better as Verizon’s 5G network matures.
Consumers with any Verizon unlimited subscription plan (Go Unlimited, Above Unlimited or Beyond Unlimited) can access superfast 5G network for an extra $10 per month of subscription fee, while the telecom will offer free 5G data for the first three months of subscription.
So where can I access Verizon 5G?
According to Verizon’s website, consumers having a 5G-capable smartphone can access 5G networks starting today in the following Chicago areas: River North, Old Town, The Loop, Magnificent Mile, and The Gold Coast. For subscribers in Minneapolis neighborhood, 5G networks can be accessed in Elliot Park, Downtown West, and Downtown East.
Once a user moves out of these 5G network zones, the network will automatically change to Verizon’s standard 4G LTE. Verizon has revealed their plans of expanding 5G network coverage to more than 30 cities by the fall of this year.
Which smartphones can I use on Verizon 5G?
At present, only the Motorola Moto Z3 smartphone (with the 5G Moto Mod attached) is compatible with Verizon’s 5G network services. However, the number of 5G-capable devices available is now expected to increase quickly. Later this spring, Verizon will become the first carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G device.
While that flagship smartphone is likely to have superior performance as compared to the Moto Z3, its cost is likely to be ultra-expensive. Though no official costing has been provided by Verizon or Samsung yet, the S10 Plus is expected to start at $999 while the 5G variant will have superior specs.
Later this year, LG will roll out its V50 ThinQ smartphone on Verizon’s 5G network. While that smartphone will be almost identical to the LG V40 released in 2018, it’ll sport the latest high-end Snapdragon 855 processor, a bigger 4,000mAh battery, and a vapor chamber designed to avoid overheating of the device during continuous intensive sessions.