The best 5G phones mean you can enjoy the fastest speeds, but they also encompass everything from high-end flagship phones to most mid-rangers, and even a few budget devices. It's a good idea to figure out what you can afford before diving into the options below.
5G is the next generation of mobile data connectivity and it brings with it super-fast speeds along with superior reliability and connection stability compared to 4G. It's perfect for online gaming, streaming movies, or quickly downloading large files.
While the best smartphones might suit your needs, we've focused on the key uses of 5G here and looked at the best 5G phones for covering those requirements. The following roundup is broken down into categories to help you determine why you might be looking to buy a 5G phone.
Each of the entries include a 'best' model along with a 'runner up' so you know what the highlights are. That's particularly important as not all our best phones picks are available in the US or other regions.
We test every new 5G phone that comes out, so we know exactly what to look for. That also means this list is regularly updated, with new entries like the Black Shark 5 and Sony Xperia 1 IV now featuring.
- What is 5G? Our full explainer about the next-gen internet tech
Best 5G phones at any price
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the new leader of the best 5G phones, although it will cost you a fair chunk of change to enjoy its many great features.
Those features are vast at least. It offers a beautiful 6.8-inch AMOLED screen that supports up to 3088 x 1440 resolution and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. Its refresh rate goes up to 120Hz with the ability to adapt as needed so it always looks great, while Samsung's new Vision Booster technology means visibility is great even in direct sunlight.
Elsewhere, its camera array is fantastic with an array of lenses offering you plenty of options from two 10MP zoom lenses, to a 12MP ultrawide, and 108MP main camera. Great technology further enhances your images.
Throw in the integrated S Pen, speedy performance, and reasonable if not remarkable battery life, and this is a dream of a device.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review
Besides offering crucial 5G connectivity, the OnePlus 10 Pro offers a bunch of features we'd now consider crucial in a flagship phone.
It's chunky but it has a gorgeous 6.7-inch 2K screen that's perfect for streaming content while on the move or playing online games. 120Hz refresh rate means it can keep up with it all.
Further helping it is its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip that means powerful performance at all times, ensuring it can keep up with the speed that 5G brings. It even bundles in cooling systems to help ensure your phone won't overheat while you game on your commute.
Slightly weaker cameras than some, but still reliable, is pretty much the only true downside to the otherwise remarkable performance of the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Read our full OnePlus 10 Pro review.
Best cheap 5G phones
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has mid-range specs but a price that makes it one of the more affordable 5G phones, and it’s an excellent choice if you’re on a budget.
Beyond 5G connectivity, it benefits from fast 65W charging, a slim, lightweight build, and slick software that’s almost entirely free of bloat.
The performance and camera are more middling but far from disasters, and while the screen is similar to the one on the original OnePlus Nord CE 5G, it’s still pleasant to use.
Read our full OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G review
The Realme 9 Pro Plus is one of the cheaper 5G phones available, yet it has a lot going for it, including surprisingly good low light photography capabilities, which is something you usually have to pay a lot for.
With 60W charging this phone also powers up fast, and it has a striking design, with direct sunlight causing the rear panel’s color to gradually change.
Plus, its camera is reasonably accomplished beyond its low light skills, performance is strong for the price, and it has a built-in heart rate monitor, which is something you don’t often see on phones. There’s quite a lot of pre-installed bloat, but that’s our only significant complaint.
Read our full Realme 9 Pro Plus review
Best 5G gaming phones
If you're serious about mobile gaming, you'll love the Asus ROG Phone 6. It has a striking style that looks great while also including a 3.5mm headphone jack and even a second USB port for accessories. Alongside that, its 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED display looks gorgeous with a 165Hz refresh rate ensuring it can cope with the fastest of games with no risk of motion blur.
Performance is powerful with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 controlling the action and ensuring that the Asus ROG Phone 6 is fast while also staying cool thanks to Asus moving the processor. The only thing that heats it up is 5G downloads but it's worth it with the phone providing excellent results when streaming or downloading.
While photography isn't the Asus ROG Phone 6's strong point, for gaming and downloads, you can't beat it.
Read our full Asus ROG Phone 6 review
5G may mean the Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro isn't the longest lasting of phones, needing a top up charge from time to time, but it flies elsewhere. Thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, it's well designed for gaming on the move, whether streaming or downloading.
Even better, it has some pop-up physical triggers along one side, turning the phone into a gaming controller.
It gets a bit hot while you play and we'd have liked to have seen an AMOLED rather than OLED display, but the Black Shark 5 is still a great bet for gaming while connected to 5G.
Read our full Black Shark 5 Pro review
- The best gaming phones you can buy right now
Best 5G phones for watching and streaming media
