How Do I Upgrade My Phone To 5g

How to get 5G

5G is now bachelor on many UK networks and 5G coverage is growing rapidly, so – if you care about having the fastest speeds possible and future-proofing your network experience – it's fourth dimension to jump on board.

In club to get 5G you need to accept a 5G device on a 5G program and be in an area with 5G coverage.

We've made the whole process simpler with this guide, talking you through the key steps and considerations necessary to upgrade to 5G.

Things yous need to become 5G
1. 5G Device	two. 5G Plan	3. 5G Coverage

i. 5G Device

The first thing yous need is a device that supports 5G, which – if you don't take a contempo handset - is likely to hateful upgrading your phone, every bit 4G phones tin't be updated to support 5G.

There are a big number of 5G phones bachelor to buy though, including the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone thirteen Mini, Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, OnePlus 9 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 III, Google Pixel 5, Xiaomi Mi 11 and many others.

Just select phones launched in the terminal few years (every bit of October 2021) back up 5G, so if you lot have a current phone older than that it won't exist 5G ready, and some recent phones aren't either – specially lower end ones, but if you are in any doubt, you can bank check the specification on the manufacturer's website.

Compare 5G phone deals

Another way to get 5G is with 5G home broadband, which is an alternative to conventional home broadband that doesn't require a landline. It works by sharing a 5G internet connection over Wi-Fi using a router and can share internet with upward to 64 devices at the same time.

Compare 5G home broadband deals

2. 5G Plan

Equally well equally getting a 5G device y'all also need to be on a program that comes with 5G data.

The practiced news is that whatsoever 5G device, or SIM plan, yous buy on our site comes with 5G data, so you don't need to worry about checking if the plan supports 5G. That's right, every deal we sell is 5G, just if yous don't buy through our site then making sure y'all get a 5G program specifically is something you lot'll desire to watch out for.

Compare 5G SIM Only plans

At the time of writing EE, Vodafone, O2, Iii, BT Mobile, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff, Virgin Mobile, Asda Mobile, Lebara, iD Mobile and VOXI offering 5G plans.

Even on those networks though, not all plans are necessarily 5G. Three's for example are, just some plans on other networks limit yous to 4G speeds. Then brand sure the programme specifically says you get 5G speeds (or in the instance of Vodafone says that yous go the 'fastest available' speeds).

To make things even easier, the chart beneath highlights the names of all the 5G plan options available at the time of writing.

Network	5G SIM Merely plans	5G Pay Monthly plans	5G Broadband plans	5G offered with unlimited data?
EE	Yeah, all plans except Flex Plans	Yep, whatsoever plan sold with a 5G phone	Yes, any program sold with a 5G router	Yes
Vodafone	Yes, Unlimited Max, or Red with 5GB or more	Yes, Unlimited Max, or Ruby-red with 5GB or more	Yes, any plan with a 5G GigaCube	Yes
O2	All plans are 5G-ready	Aye, whatsoever programme that comes with a 5G phone	Yep, any program with a 5G Pocket Hotspot Pro	Yes
Three	All plans are 5G-ready	All plans are 5G-ready	Yep, any programme with a Iii 5G Hub	Yes
BT Mobile	All plans are 5G-prepare	Yes, whatever plan that comes with a 5G phone*	No	Yes
Sky Mobile	All plans support 5G (with costless add-on)	All plans back up 5G (with complimentary add-on)	No	No
VOXI	All plans are 5G-set up	All plans are 5G-prepare	No	Yes
Tesco Mobile	All plans are 5G-ready	Yes, any plan that comes with a 5G telephone	No	Yeah
Giffgaff	Yes, all Gilded Goodybags	Yes, all Golden Goodybags	No	Yes
Virgin Mobile	All plans are 5G-ready	Yes, any programme sold with a 5G telephone	No	Yes
Asda Mobile	Yes, any plan that lists '5G'	Yes, whatever plan that lists '5G'	No	Aye
Lebara	All plans are 5G-set	No	No	Yes
iD Mobile	All plans are 5G-set up	Yes, with select phones	No	Yes

*At the fourth dimension of writing BT Mobile has stopped selling any 5G phones, meaning that functionally you can't get 5G on the network if you don't already take it.

3. 5G Coverage

As well every bit a 5G device and a 5G programme you lot also need 5G coverage – otherwise y'all'll be stuck on 4G or 3G speeds.

This could be the main stumbling block for a lot of people, as 5G coverage is far from comprehensive. It too varies dramatically between networks.

Simply enter your postcode on our 5G coverage checker to run into which networks take launched 5G in your area. It is probably worth checking not but where you alive, but too where you piece of work and anywhere else you regularly go to.

Check 5G coverage on all networks

Just if at that place's picayune or no 5G coverage where yous are however, y'all may notwithstanding desire to get a 5G device and plan, since you'll be ready to accept full advantage of 5G equally soon as it arrives, and in the meantime will exist able to apply 5G any time you get somewhere that does take coverage.

How tin I check if I'm eligible to upgrade?

In most cases y'all'll exist able to check if you're eligible to upgrade by logging into your account on your network'south website, or via their official app. You can find links to check beneath.

Network	Link to bank check upgrade eligibility
EE	Click here to log in and check
Vodafone	Click here then head to 'Upgrade or alter packet'
O2	Click here to log in and check
Iii	Click here to log in, then click 'looking to upgrade'
BT	Click here to log in and check
iD Mobile	Click here to log in and bank check
Plusnet	Get in affect here
Sky Mobile	Click here to log in and check
Tesco Mobile	Click here to log in and check
Virgin Mobile	Click here to log in and bank check

Annotation: if your network isn't listed then that should mean it allows upgrades someday or doesn't accept contracts or upgrades in the first identify.

What can I practise if I have a long time left on my contract?

Depending on the plan you accept yous might have the flexibility to upgrade early, but assuming you don't, you have a couple of real options.

Y'all tin either pay off the rest of your current contract in one lump sum, allowing you to upgrade to a new 5G one early, or you can buy a whole new 5G phone outright and stick your current SIM carte in it – though this second pick but works if your current plan supports 5G and it'southward just your phone that doesn't. Then this should be an option on Three, for example, every bit Iii offers 5G on its plans equally standard.

You could likewise just wait. Right now 5G isn't available everywhere, and both coverage and phone choice should increase massively in the adjacent couple of years. Prices are probable to drop too, so at that place is something to be said for non joining the 5G revolution straight abroad.

FAQ

Volition my 3G or 4G phone work with 5G?

No, you lot'll need a new phone as older phones tin't be updated to support 5G because they crave a 5G chipset and modem. If you have a 3G or 4G telephone information technology will all the same work on 5G plans, simply y'all'll only become 3G or 4G speeds.

Will I need a new SIM bill of fare to access 5G?

Possibly. While some networks have added 5G to existing SIM cards, O2 for example has talked virtually customers having to switch to a 5G SIM, while Vodafone highlights that its new unlimited SIMs are 5G-prepare – suggesting that others aren't.

However, while a new SIM card may be needed, the size isn't changing. You lot'll however be using the same sizes as earlier, which in most cases ways you'll get a nano SIM (or a multi-SIM, that tin exist sized as needed).

Will a 4G SIM piece of work in a 5G telephone?

Yes, just yous won't typically be able to enjoy 5G data speeds.

How much will it toll to upgrade?

If yous're non currently tied into a contract, it shouldn't cost annihilation, though your new 5G plan may well have a higher monthly fee than your old 4G one, and if you lot need a new phone every bit office of it that is likely to have an upfront cost.

I'm on pay as you go, will I be able to upgrade?

If you're on pay as you get, you can upgrade whatsoever time, though you might initially need to movement to a Pay Monthly or SIM But plan, as – aside from needing a 5G phone – some networks are currently only advertising 4G speeds for pay as you lot get.