If you’re interested in 5G then you should be interested in 5G Standalone, as this is set to be the next big step in mobile connectivity – one which has the potential to be even bigger than the step we’re currently taking from 4G to 5G.
In fact, 5G Standalone is already here on some networks, though its availability is currently quite limited.
Below then we’ve covered everything you need to know about 5G Standalone, including what it is, what’s so good about it, whether your phone will work with it, and how you can get it.
What is 5G Standalone?
5G Standalone (also known as 5G SA), is a standalone 5G network. What does that mean? Well, right now most of the UK’s 5G networks are Non-Standalone, meaning that while they use a 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) including 5G masts and 5G frequencies, the core of the network is largely the same as it was during the days of 4G.
With 5G Standalone, there’s a 5G core as well – in other words the whole network has been upgraded with 5G-era technology, rather than using a mix of 5G and 4G tech.
We’re in most cases currently using Non-Standalone because it was cheaper and quicker to roll 5G out that way, but now that networks have a respectable amount of 5G coverage, they’re starting to turn their attention to the core network so they can get the most out of 5G.
By ‘core network’ we mean essentially the central part of the network, sometimes referred to as its backbone. This handles things like transferring network traffic, authenticating users, routing calls, and various network management functions.
What are the benefits of 5G Standalone?
Many of the benefits of 5G that have been hyped since before the first 5G networks even launched are really things that we need 5G Standalone for. Right now 5G brings higher download and upload speeds, but that’s the main benefit with Non-Standalone. There are far more upgrades available once you have 5G Standalone.
These include improved reliability, more responsive networks, lower latency, less battery drain (so your phone won’t need charging as often), improved 5G coverage, stronger indoor signals, and better security, as a 5G core network can offer advanced end-to-end encryption and next-generation security software.
5G Standalone can also be beneficial in busy areas, as it’s designed to connect far more devices simultaneously, so you’re less likely to run into the problem of a network being sluggish or unavailable in packed places like city centres and stadiums.
What technologies does 5G Standalone enable or improve?
There are numerous things that a 5G Standalone network will help with – or enable for the first time. For example, by lowering latency, it will improve the experience when video streaming and online gaming. Latency is how long a network takes to respond to a request before data starts moving, and it can be a cause of lag, putting you at a disadvantage when gaming online. With videos, a lower latency could reduce buffering times.
More serious applications of this improvement include powering self-driving vehicles and remote assisted surgeries, where a low latency connection could literally be the difference between life and death, since you need near-live data processing for these things to work safely.
There are also specific network features that 5G Standalone can enable, such as network slicing, which allows a mobile operator to partition its network, with different sections set up in different ways, so they’re ideal for what they’re used for. For example, the emergency services could have a dedicated slice of the network where a priority is placed on reliability over speed, since that’s most important to them.
Then there’s ‘network steering’, which allows the network to automatically direct a device towards the right connectivity type (be that 4G, 5G Standalone, or 5G Non-Standalone) for the service it’s currently using.
Which networks offer 5G Standalone?
5G Standalone is already available on both O2 and Vodafone, but not everywhere or on every device or plan. Below you’ll find more details of each network’s 5G standalone offering.
Vodafone
In the case of Vodafone – which was the first UK network to launch a 5G Standalone service – it’s marketed as 5G Ultra, and it’s available in select locations, including but not limited to parts of London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cardiff, with coverage set to improve over time.
Vodafone hasn’t provided a full list of locations where 5G Ultra is available, but you can see it listed on the network’s coverage checker.
However, you’re not just limited in where you can get 5G Ultra, it also only works with select phones. These include the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, along with the Galaxy S23, S22, and S21 ranges (excluding FE models). It also works with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and 5, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and 5. Beyond Samsung phones, 5G Ultra is available on the Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Oppo Find X5 Pro, and Oppo Find X3 Pro.
That’s the complete list at the time of writing, but you can head to Vodafone’s 5G Ultra page for an up to date list.
Finally, you also need to have purchased or upgraded to a new pay monthly plan from the 24th of February 2023 onwards to be eligible for 5G Ultra.
O2 was the second UK network to launch a 5G Standalone service, and it’s initially available in parts of Manchester, Liverpool, London, Lincoln, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham, and Slough. As with Vodafone, O2’s 5G Standalone coverage will continue to grow, and in fact at the time of writing it may well already be available in more places, but O2 hasn’t provided an updated list.
The network has said though that it aims to bring 5G Standalone to all populated areas by 2030.
Its 5G Standalone service is available at no extra cost, but you do need a compatible device, which according to the most up to date list we have from O2 means a Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, Galaxy S24 Ultra, S23, S23 Plus, S23 Ultra, S23 FE, S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, Z Flip 5, Z Fold 5, A34 5G, A54 5G, or A25.
Outside of Samsung phones it also works with the Sony Xperia 1 V, Sony Xperia 5 V, and Netgear Nighthawk M6. O2 adds that you’ll also need an R15 SIM, so if you have an older SIM card you may need to contact the network for a replacement.
EE is likely to be the next UK network to offer 5G standalone, suggesting back in March 2024 that the roll out could start before the end of 2024. However, we haven’t heard any updates since then, so it remains to be seen whether that will still happen.
There’s no real news on when Three will launch 5G Standalone, which suggests it will be the last of the big four UK networks to do so. Vodafone has stated that its proposed merger with Three would speed up the rollout of 5G Standalone for both networks, but a decision still hasn’t been made on whether the merger will be allowed to go ahead.
Still, EE – and most likely also Three – are currently carrying out 5G Standalone trials, so hopefully it won’t be too long before both networks launch these services.
Of course, as with current 5G the rollout will likely be gradual, with large cities probably getting it long before more rural locations.
It’s also unclear when MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) like Giffgaff and Tesco Mobile will start offering 5G Standalone, but hopefully the wait won’t be too long. Of course, there’s not even the possibility of them doing so until their parent network does. So for example Giffgaff theoretically could soon, since it uses O2’s infrastructure, but iD Mobile couldn’t, since it uses Three’s.
What phones are 5G Standalone ready?
If you’re wondering whether you’ll have to upgrade your phone for 5G Standalone then we have good news – you probably won’t.
Obviously you need a 5G phone for 5G Standalone, and not all 5G phones support 5G Standalone, but that support can be enabled with a software update, and it’s an update that manufacturers will likely be keen to offer.
But you might not even need a software update, because according to the Global Certification Forum (GCF), 96% of 5G devices certified in 2023 supported 5G Standalone.
That percentage is likely to continue rising, as it was up from 91% in 2022, 65% in 2021, and 34% in 2020. So if you have a recent 5G phone then it likely already supports 5G Standalone. Older ones are less likely to, but may well get a software update to enable it once 5G Standalone networks launch. Then again, older handsets also typically get less support from manufacturers, so there’s no guarantee.
You shouldn’t need to worry if you have an iPhone either, as every 5G iPhone (meaning the iPhone 12 onwards) supports 5G SA in at least some countries. Apple is a little vague about regional differences, so it’s not clear whether UK models support it, but if not then there’s little doubt Apple will update them to, since it’s offering support elsewhere, and tends to support its phones better than most companies.
That said, the phone also needs to support 5G Standalone on the specific network you’re using, and the list of compatible phones for O2 and Vodafone (the only current networks with 5G Standalone in the UK) is far from comprehensive.
You can see those lists in their sections above, but the good news at least is that many currently unsupported phones may be able to gain support through a software update.
James has been writing for us for over 10 years. Currently, he is Editorial Manager for our group of companies ( 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk) and sub-editor at TechRadar. He specialises in smartphones, mobile networks/ technology, tablets, and wearables.
In the past, James has also written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media, Smart TV Radar, and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV. He has a film studies degree from the University of Kent, Canterbury, and has over a decade’s worth of professional writing experience.
