5G phones have landed, offering blazing fast speeds that are many times greater than 4G – as long as you have a 5G plan and 5G coverage to go with them.
There are a number of 5G phones available to buy in the UK today on Pay Monthly contracts, or you can buy them outright SIM-free and get a 5G SIM Only deal.
Below you’ll find information on all the currently available 5G handsets, along with those that are in the works or rumoured.
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What 5G phones are currently available?
There are currently nine phones available in the UK that support 5G. These are the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy A90 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, LG V50 ThinQ, Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G and Oppo Reno 5G.
All other phones, including all current iPhone models, don't support 5G. So if you don’t already own one of the phones above, you'll need to upgrade to a 5G phone to enjoy the faster speeds offered by 5G networks.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G
The Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G is a completely new type of smartphone. It has Samsung's biggest ever screen at 7.3-inches, but uniquely it folds in half so it can easily fit in your pocket and you can still use a 4.6-inch front display when it's in a folded state.
As you'd expect, the rest of the Fold’s specification is cutting-edge and includes 6 cameras, the high-end octa-core Snapdragon 855 processor and 12GB of RAM. It comes pre-loaded with Android 9.0 and of course, it supports 5G.
Such innovation doesn't come cheap, as the Galaxy Fold 5G retails at £1900 SIM-free, though it does at least ship with a case and Galaxy Buds. If you want it on contract, currently it's available exclusively on EE.
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Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G Deals |
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120GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts 5G Ready plan |
£119 a month £50 upfront |
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts 5G plan |
£124 a month £50 upfront |
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
Samsung has unleashed a true beast in the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, which is the newest 5G phone to be unveiled at the time of writing and far and away the most powerful.
The smartphone comes with a new octa-core Exynos 9825 processor that outperforms the Galaxy S10 5G and even the Galaxy Fold. It also packs a whopping 12GB of RAM. The power is put to good use by the phone’s 6.8-inch 1440 x 3040 display, which sports stunning contrast thanks to HDR10+ support.
The S10 Plus 5G also has four rear-facing cameras (consisting of a 12MP variable aperture lens, a 12MP telephoto one, a 16MP wide-angle one, and a Time of Flight depth sensor), enabling you to capture the perfect shot in any conditions.
Other standout features include 512GB of onboard memory and IP68 certification making it resistant to dust, dirt, sand, and submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for up to thirty minutes. And being a ‘Note’ phone this also comes with Samsung’s S Pen stylus, so you can sketch and take notes as if on a piece of paper. It’s available from EE, Vodafone, Three, O2, BT and Sky.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G Deals |
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4GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£60 a month £99 upfront |
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5GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£64 a month £99 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£59 a month £30 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£74 a month £50 upfront |
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
The highest profile 5G handset is arguably the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. This is a 5G version of the flagship Galaxy S10, but it’s an upgrade in a number of other ways too, including its 6.7-inch QHD+ curved screen, its 4,500mAh battery, and six cameras, with four on the back (a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, a 12MP lens that can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4, a 16MP ultra-wide f/2.2 lens, and a 3D depth sensor), and two on the front (a 10MP one and a 3D depth sensor).
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is the only one of the S10 range to sport 3D depth sensors and it’s an addition made with 5G in mind, as the technologies combined could help power augmented and virtual reality use cases, among other things.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G also has an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a high-end Exynos 9820 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, plus a premium, water-resistant build. At the time of writing it’s available on EE, Vodafone, O2, Three, BT, VOXI and Sky, so you can get it in a lot of places.
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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Deals |
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12GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£60 a month £79 upfront |
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15GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£66 a month £99 upfront |
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15GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£66 a month Free phone |
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£67 a month £30 upfront |
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10GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£69 a month £50 upfront |
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60GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£70 a month £49 upfront |
| View all Galaxy S10 5G deals on EE or Vodafone | ||
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OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is available on EE and BT, and it was one of the very first 5G phones to launch in the UK. It could be one of the best too, as a report suggests it offers the fastest 5G downloads.
As well as 5G, this phone has a 6.67-inch 1440 x 3120 curved screen with almost no bezel – instead, the selfie camera pops out of the top and the fingerprint scanner is built into the display.
It also has a triple-lens rear camera, with a 48MP main lens, a 16MP wide-angle one and an 8MP telephoto one, plus a 4,000mAh battery, a top-end Snapdragon 855 chipset and 256GB of storage.
So it’s a true 5G flagship, yet it undercuts the Galaxy S10 5G and most other early 5G phones.
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OnePlus 7 Pro 5G Deals |
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10GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£59 a month £50 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£64 a month £50 upfront |
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60GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£69 a month £30 upfront |
| View all OnePlus 7 Pro 5G deals on EE | ||
LG V50 ThinQ
The LG V50 ThinQ is LG’s first 5G phone and as well as 5G it has a 6.4-inch 1440 x 3120 screen, a high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and a triple lens rear camera, with a 12MP standard lens, a 12MP telephoto one and a 16MP ultra-wide one.
It also has a 4,000mAh battery and stereo speakers, with the latter boosted by DTS:X technology which can create a surround sound-like experience, while aptX and aptX HD audio technology are used to improve the sound when using headphones.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the V50 ThinQ though – other than its 5G – is its optional DualScreen accessory, which lets you clip a second 6.2-inch screen to the device, one which can be used independently, bringing the LG V50 ThinQ a bit closer to being a folding phone. It’s out now on EE.
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LG V50 ThinQ Deals |
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10GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£64 a month £50 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£69 a month £50 upfront |
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60GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£74 a month £30 upfront |
| View all LG V50 ThinQ deals on EE | ||
Huawei Mate 20 X 5G
The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G has a massive 7.2-inch screen (just like the standard, non-5G model), along with a 4,200mAh battery, a triple-lens rear camera (with a 40MP main lens, an 8MP telephoto one and a 20MP ultra-wide one) and a high-end Kirin 980 chipset. So it’s a real flagship but beyond 5G it stands out mostly through its near tablet-sized screen.
It's now available to buy on EE and Vodafone, as well as on Three on a 5G Ready plan, but you won't be able to access 5G on Three until later this year, with the network due to launch 5G in 25 cities before the end of 2019. It’s also available on BT, VOXI and Sky – the latter of which also doesn’t have a live 5G network yet.
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Huawei Mate 20 X 5G Deals |
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4GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£48 a month £79 upfront |
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45GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£50 a month Free phone |
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12GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£51 a month £49 upfront |
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£61 a month £79 upfront
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£68 a month £29 upfront |
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60GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£69 a month £10 upfront |
| View all Huawei Mate 20 X 5G deals on Three | ||
Oppo Reno 5G
The Oppo Reno 5G is another 5G phone that you can now buy in the UK, and it’s available now on EE, O2 and BT.
The Oppo Reno 5G has a 6.6-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen, a 16MP pop-up selfie camera, and a triple-lens rear camera, with a 48MP main lens, a 13MP telephoto lens (capable of 10x lossless zoom) and an 8MP wide-angle lens.
The phone has a high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset, 8GB of RAM, a 4,065mAh battery, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner.
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Oppo Reno 5G Deals |
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10GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£49 a month £30 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£51 a month £30 upfront |
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30GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£54 a month £10 upfront |
| View all Oppo Reno 5G deals on EE | ||
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
The standard Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 was actually announced back in 2018 and back then the company revealed that a 5G model would be launched at some point.
Well, that’s now happened. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G in most other ways is similar to the standard model, but that’s no bad thing. It has a 6.39-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen, and a slide-out dual-lens selfie camera, which in turn means there’s no notch and almost no bezel.
Additionally, the Mi Mix 3 5G has a powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset, a pair of 12MP cameras on the back, a 3,800mAh battery, a dedicated Google Assistant button, a hybrid cooling system and a ceramic body. Plus, it’s one of the cheaper 5G handsets.
It was also the first one available, as Vodafone launched the phone on May 23rd. But the Mi Mix 3 5G is also now available on O2 and Three.
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Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G Deals |
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12GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£49 a month £49 upfront |
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5GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£50 a month £99 upfront |
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15GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£54 a month £49 upfront |
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60GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£58 a month £49 upfront |
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£58 a month £30 upfront |
| View all Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G deals on Vodafone | ||
Samsung Galaxy A90 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A90 5G is Samsung's first mid-range 5G phone and as such it’s also one of the cheapest 5G phones you can buy, coming in at little over half the price of both the Galaxy S10 5G and Note 10+ 5G.
But you still get a lot of bang for your buck thanks to a high-end Snapdragon 855 processor, which is used in some of the international versions of the S10, along with 6GB of RAM.
The 6.7-inch AMOLED display has a FHD+ resolution (1,080 x 2,400 pixels), so you won't be lacking for screen space or clarity, and battery life should be excellent as it has a massive 4,500mAh battery - that's bigger than the one in the Galaxy Note 10+ (4,300mAh).
The rear camera is a triple-lens offering with a 48MP main snapper supported by additional lenses for depth-of-field and ultra-wide shots, while you also get a 32MP front-facing camera.
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Samsung Galaxy A90 5G Deals |
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4GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£43 a month £49 upfront |
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5GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£40 a month £99 upfront |
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15GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£45 a month Free phone. |
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10GB data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£49 a month £30 upfront |
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Unlimited data Unlimited minutes Unlimited texts |
£58 a month £30 upfront |
What 5G phones are coming soon?
The Huawei Mate X, ZTE Axon 10 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro, Huawei Mate 30/30 Pro 5G, and Vivo iQOO Pro 5G have been officially announced, but are yet to go on sale in the UK. You can read about them below.
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5G Phone |
UK Release Date |
Price |
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November 2019 |
£2000 |
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TBC |
TBC |
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TBC |
TBC |
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Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro |
TBC | TBC |
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Huawei Mate 30 / Mate 30 Pro 5G |
TBC | TBC |
Huawei Mate X
The Huawei Mate X is another very exciting 5G phone that’s already been announced. In fact, it’s even more exciting than the Galaxy S10 5G, but also more niche. That’s because it also has a folding screen and is set to cost €2,299 (around £2,000).
The Mate X can be used as phone-sized device with a 6.6-inch screen on one side and a 6.4-inch one on the other, or it can be opened out into an 8-inch 2200 x 2480 tablet-sized device.
It has an OLED screen, three cameras, a super-powerful octa-core Kirin 980 chipset, 8GB of RAM, a massive 4,500mAh battery, and 512GB of storage, so this is a top-end handset even before you factor in the 5G or folds. EE, Three and Vodafone had all confirmed plans to stock the Mate X at some point this year. According to Huawei, the phone will land by November.
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
The ZTE Axon 10 Pro is another top-end phone that also supports 5G. It has a 6.47-inch 1080 x 2340 AMOLED screen, 6GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 855 chipset, barely any bezel and – like most current 5G phones – it uses the Snapdragon X50 5G modem.
There are three cameras on the back, namely a 48MP main lens, a 20MP ultra-wide-angle one and an 8MP telephoto one. Plus the ZTE Axon 10 Pro has a 4,000mAh battery, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and AI smarts, which allow the phone to automatically adjust the CPU, GPU, RAM and ROM as needed. We don’t know what the ZTE Axon 10 Pro will cost, but you should be able to buy it before long.
Vivo iQOO Pro 5G
Vivo has announced the Vivo iQOO Pro 5G, a phone with a 6.41-inch Full HD+ screen, super-fast charging and a Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, along with a triple-lens rear camera (with 48MP, 13MP and 2MP lenses), a 4,500mAh battery, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage.
However, there’s no word on UK availability and it’s worth noting that Vivo handsets aren’t often widely available in the UK, so you might have to import it.
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro
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The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro is Xiaomi’s second 5G phone, following the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. This handset has been announced but hasn’t yet landed in the UK.
If and when it does you can look forward to a 6.39-inch 1080 x 2340 screen, a top-tier Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, a triple-lens camera and a 4,000mAh battery.
Huawei Mate 30 / Mate 30 Pro 5G
Huawei has unveiled 5G versions of both the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, though it’s currently unclear if or when they will land in the UK now that Huawei can’t use Google’s apps and services for new handsets.
The Mate 30 Pro is the most exciting of these, with a 6.53-inch 1176 x 2400 screen, a top-end chipset, 8GB of RAM, a quad-lens camera, a 4,500mAh battery and a striking design, with steeply curved screen edges.
Are there any rumoured 5G phones?
As you can see in the table below a number of other manufacturers are known or rumoured to be working on 5G phones.
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Manufacturer |
Phone model | Rumoured announcement |
| Honor | Honor V30 |
November 2019 |
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Apple |
iPhone 12 (TBC) | September 2020 TBC |
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Sony |
To be confirmed |
TBC |
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Huawei |
Huawei P40 5G (TBC) |
March 2020 TBC |
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Samsung |
Galaxy S11 5G (TBC) | February 2020 TBC |
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Nokia |
To be confirmed | 2020 |
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Xiaomi (Black Shark) |
To be confirmed | 2019 |
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Motorola |
To be confirmed | TBC |
Apple
There has been lots of talk about a 5G iPhone, and it’s likely that 2020’s range – probably set to be called the iPhone 12 – will be the first with 5G. This will probably land in September.
We don’t know much about this handset yet, but rumors point to a possible redesign, with no more notch. The iPhone 12 might also be less curvy and have a 120Hz refresh rate on its screen. Speaking of the screen, the iPhone 12 Pro Max might have a big 6.7-inch one, with the standard iPhone 12 Pro possibly packing a 5.45-inch one.
There’s also an outside chance that we might be waiting until 2021 for a 5G iPhone, especially as Apple has seemingly had issues finding a 5G modem supplier capable of manufacturing enough, but 2020 remains our best guess for now, with Qualcomm in the driving seat, despite the two companies’ legal issues.
Honor
Honor is also known to be working on a 5G phone, one called the Honor V30 (likely to be called the Honor View 30 outside China), and this is set to be announced at some point in November 2019.
We don’t know much about the phone yet, other than that it will use Huawei’s top-end Kirin 990 chipset, but we’ll update you once we learn anything else.
Sony
Sony hasn’t specifically confirmed a 5G phone, but it has come very close, talking a lot in blog posts and presentations about 5G technology (in one case mentioning both 5G and phones in the same presentation slide). So we might see a 5G phone from the company in 2020.
However, we might well be waiting longer, as Sony has previously gone on record recently saying that it doesn’t want to rush to launch a 5G handset and will probably only launch one when there’s a need from networks and customers. As yet we don’t know much about the company’s 5G phone, but there are rumours that it will be foldable.
Huawei
Huawei has firmly embraced 5G so it’s likely that many subsequent phones from the company will include it.
The next obvious candidate is the Huawei P40 and/or the Huawei P40 Pro, two flagships that are likely to land in or around March 2020. As yet though we don’t know much about them though, and they might not get sold in the UK if Huawei is still banned from using Google’s services.
Samsung
As with Huawei we’d expect more 5G Samsung phones, including the inevitable Samsun
