C-Band 5G: Here are the phones you need for faster speeds

C-Band 5G: Here are the phones you demand for faster speeds

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Verizon and AT&T both gave their 5G networks a boost this calendar month, upgrading their coverage with C-Ring spectrum. Cheers to C-Ring, customers of either telephone carrier should come across faster 5G speeds covering a larger area than before — provided they have a compatible phone.

The adept news is that phone you lot're already property may be able to connect to the faster C-Band 5G of both Verizon and AT&T right now.

That'south considering many recent flagships that rank among the best 5G phones already take the adequacy to connect to C-Ring 5G. In those cases, information technology'south just a matter of being in area that'south covered by the faster networks of Verizon and AT&T. And you'd figure that the ranks of C-Band-capable phones will grow this yr, as phone makers coil out new devices.

C-Band 5G has been in the news a lot lately, and not simply because of the ongoing dispute between the aviation industry, which fears that the signals volition interfere with the altimeters on some planes, and wireless providers, which launched their services with a buffer zone around select airports.

C-Ring is a relatively uncrowded part of the wireless spectrum that was auctioned off to phone providers final year. C-Ring delivers fast speeds just with a wider achieve than millimeter wave-based 5G, which is what Verizon and AT&T used for their initial super-fast coverage. By launching C-Band 5G, speeds that were enjoyed by people inside sight of mmWave towers tin can now reach further and even penetrate buildings in some cases.

Verizon grabbed the biggest chunk of C-Band spectrum and concluding year's sale, with AT&T picking upwardly a slice, as well. T-Mobile has some C-Ring spectrum of its own, though it doesn't program to implement that into its ain nationwide 5G coverage until 2023.

Don't experience too desperately for T-Mobile, though, which has used its own 5G spectrum forth with spectrum acquired every bit part of the Sprint merger to build out the farther reaching 5G network to engagement. T-Mobile says its nationwide coverage reaches more 300 meg people; of that full, 200 million tin can admission T-Mobile'due south faster Ultra Chapters 5G service.

As a result, T-Mobile tends to top most rankings for 5G speed and availability. In OpenSignal's January 2022 written report, T-Mobile leads in both 5G download and upload speeds, and enjoys a wide atomic number 82 in availability and reach. Clearly, Verizon and AT&T expect their C-Band rollouts to close that gap.

Here'southward a circular-up of where you can expect to find C-Band 5G from both Verizon and AT&T and what phones you lot'll need to be able to accept reward of the improved functioning.

Verizon C-Band

Because Verizon grabbed the majority of the C-Band spectrum at terminal year's auction, information technology's got the bigger rollout. When Verizon launched C-Band 5G, the carrier said that the faster coverage volition achieve ninety meg people. The carrier'southward nationwide 5G service, which uses lower-speed sub-6GHz spectrum, reaches 230 million people.

Verizon 5g map showing Ultra wideband coverage — (Prototype credit: Verizon)

You'll need i of three different Verizon unlimited data plans to get C-Band 5G coverage. Verizon'southward 5G Play More and Do More plans both cost $80 a calendar month for a single line and are separated by the different perks they offer subscribers. (You get more streaming service subscriptions with Play More and more cloud storage with Practice More.) Verizon's 5G Become More program costs $90 a calendar month for i line of data.

Verizon says the following phones works with its C-Band 5G network.

Whatever iPhone 13 model
Whatever iPhone 12 model
Any Samsung Galaxy S21 model, including the Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold three and Galaxy Z Flip 3

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are going to bring together that list, Verizon says, though they demand to be certified for Verizon's high-speed 5G starting time. In addition, iPad Pro and iPad Mini tablets that can connect to 5G will be able to utilize Verizon's 5G C-Ring service.

You'll know yous're on Verizon'due south C-Band network when the status indicator on your telephone shows a 5G Ultra Wideband symbol. That'southward the same logo that appeared when your phone was connected to Verizon's mmWave-based 5G.

AT&T C-Band

AT&T'southward C-Band rollout is a bit more limited than what Verizon has done. For at present, AT&T C-Ring has launched in parts of eight metro areas, with AT&T promising that the service will "aggrandize rapidly" from the electric current sites in Austin, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando and southward Florida.

C-Band 5G joins AT&T's existing 5G footprint, which covers more than 255 million people. The carrier also has mmWave-based 5G installations in more than 40 cities and most xxx stadiums, airports and arenas.

AT&T 5g coverage showing C-band cities — (Image credit: AT&T)

You'll spot some similarities between supported C-Band 5G devices for Verizon and AT&T, though AT&T has a couple of additional phones.

Whatsoever iPhone thirteen model
Whatever iPhone 12 model
Any Samsung Galaxy S21 model, including the Galaxy S21 Fe
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold iii and Galaxy Z Flip 3
Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
Samsung Galaxy A13 5G

Like Verizon, AT&T also includes 5G iPad Pro and iPad mini models amongst its C-Band 5G devices. Continued devices will prove a "5G+" symbol in their indicator bar.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics and old movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.