These are the best Xiaomi phones compatible with 5G networks

In the ranking you’ve just seen, we have selected the best Xiaomi brand phones with 5G technology.

But what is 5G technology?

5G is the abbreviation for the fifth-generation mobile network (5th generation mobile network), the fastest and most modern mobile communication technology.

The objectives of 5G are:

• Very fast data transfer rates
• Reduction in latency
• Energy savings
• Cost reduction
• Increased system capacity
• Large-scale device connectivity

Although if you’re not an advanced user, the only thing you need to know is that 5G is a next-generation wireless network that allows faster connection speeds to be achieved. Specifically, with 5G your smartphone's internet connection is about 10 times faster than with its predecessor, 4G, and about 5 times faster than 4.5G.

This technology is not fully implemented, so before buying a cell phone with 5G you should check if the networks in your area are already compatible with this technology. However, you should know that a cell phone with this connectivity also has other benefits.

There are pages like this one that you can use to check what kind of coverage there’s in your area. You can also check with your phone company.

A bit of history

In the 1980s, 1G, or first-generation communication technology and the birth of the cellphone broke the limitations of fixed-line telephone calls. This technology was analog and the first cellphone to appear on the market was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X.

In the nineties, 2G arrived with a major change from analog to digital. With the introduction of these new digital protocols, text messages, known as “Short Message Service” (SMS), were included in the same network service.

The most direct manifestation of this is that the cellphone screen was in color. In the next 3G era, users could browse websites, watch videos, and listen to music, and other media.

4G, on the other hand, brought a more stable speed than 3G and coincided with the rise of massive social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The following table shows the evolution of technology in the networks:

Mobile communication technology	Function	Maximum rate
1G (1980s)	Calling	2 kbps
2G (1990s)	Calls, SMS, Mail (plain text)	10 kbps
3G (2000s)	Calls, SMS, Internet, Music Streaming	3,8 Mbps
4G (2010s)	Calls, SMS, Internet, 1080p video streaming	0.1-1 Gbps
5G (2020s)	Calling, SMS, Internet, 4K video streaming, VR live streaming, driverless cars, remote surgery (telesurgery)	1-10 Gbps

(The frequencies will vary depending on your country. In the case of the Americas GSM 850 / GSM 1900 MHz are used, while in Europe, Australia, and the rest of the continents GSM 900 / GSM 1800 MHz is used​​)

5G technology began to take shape between 2013 – 2014. However, it was around 2019 when we started seeing the first 5G phones on the market.

Among them, we could find the first Xiaomi phone that had this technology. The Mi MIX 3 5G, was a high-end phone with a design that was very groundbreaking at the time. Around mid-2020, about 38 countries all around the world had access to 5G technology.

As of today, the forecast is that by 2025, 5G technology will be used by everyone, which will facilitate the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT).

As you know, Xiaomi is committed to offering the latest mobile innovations at competitive prices, and with 5G technology they wouldn’t be left behind. At first, this technology was only available in the highest-end models, but today it’s already much more standardized, so the offer of Xiaomi phones with 5G is increasing a lot.

What are the advantages of 5G?

These are the main advantages of 5G:

• The network speed is almost 10 times faster than 4G, allowing you to stream better-quality content and send larger files in less time. For example, you’ll now be able to download a movie in seconds instead of minutes.
• Latency is 10 times lower than 4G. This means that communication between devices and services is much faster, which translates, for example, into a richer and more responsive online gaming experience.
• More simultaneous connections with stability. 5G technology expands radio waves, supporting more connected devices with less risk of congestion.
• Cellphones with 5G technology are more power efficient due to their processor design and architecture, and can quickly switch to low power usage when cellular radios are not in use, ultimately extending the life of the mobile battery.

What are the disadvantages of 5G?

Of course, there are some disadvantages of 5G. These are the main ones:

• The main disadvantage of 5G technology is the complexity of its implementation. In order to match the wide coverage of the 4G network, it’s necessary to install many more antennas or signal transmitters because due to the characteristics of the network, its antennas have less coverage.
• On the other hand, the issue of security is important with the 5G network. With the expected connection of millions of IoT devices, the risks of hacks for individuals, homes, and businesses will increase, as many of these devices are manufactured with security breaches.
• Some security gaps in 5G networks could include bot attacks, distributed denial of service, man-in-the-middle attacks, location tracking and call interception.

Cell phones communicate via radio waves, so the higher the frequency that can be used, the more data and information can be transmitted.

A major mobile operator said that global mobile broadband traffic will increase 5 times in the next two years.

Residential areas that rely solely on 4G will not be able to afford such high usage. This is the main reason for the development of 5G.

Differences between 4G and 5G

This table shows the main differences between 4G and 5G technologies:

	4G	5G
Maximum rate (ideal speed of uploading and downloading)	0.1-1 Gbps	1-20 Gbps
Latency (response time)	15–25 milliseconds (0.02-0.03 seconds)	1 millisecond (0.001 seconds)
Frequency	Below 10 GHz	700 MHz at 26 GHz
Advantage	Low-frequency coverage is wide without numerous base stations	High frequency increases transmission speed
Defect	Small bandwidth, prone to congestion	Difficulty penetrating solid, the signal drops off quickly with distance, need to build more base stations

The application of the benefits of 5G on the Internet of Things (IoT) is a well-known case because it can more directly demonstrate the application capabilities of 5G network features. Some companies have extended their applications to unmanned vehicles, drone control, or search and rescue at disaster sites via drones, all of which are achieved through the low-latency features of 5G.

This type of connectivity provides opportunities for the development of telemedicine, live streaming of virtual reality and 4K resolution content, as well as applications for smart homes, etc.

The more we learn about this “new” technology, the more attractive it seems, but…

What are its limitations?

5G sounds good, but in reality, there are still many places where equipment manufacturers, telecom operators, and even governments need to work together. The investment required for the universalization of 5G is too high, so today there are still many places where it’s not expected to arrive in the short term.

Since 5G's high-frequency millimeter waves are prone to interference, more base stations need to be deployed to achieve a given coverage. This also means that small cells are more important than ever. The development of 5G micro base stations with massive MIMO (reducing the antenna size and inserting it into handsets and micro base stations) and beamforming (improving the transmission of the characteristic direction signal) has been able to overcome technical difficulties and reach a certain level.

4G technology will continue to develop and become a complementary technology in the frequency band below 6 GHz. This also means that telecom operators will not completely ignore 4G due to the development of 5G. On the contrary, operators will moderately remodel some 4G base stations to strengthen the system's signal switching.

How to be prepared for the arrival of 5G

5G networks are already present in many countries. Even cellphone manufacturers, such as Xiaomi, have more and more models with this type of connectivity, which is no longer exclusive to high-end devices. Here are a series of recommendations that you should take into account with this technological change and especially if you use devices that safeguard sensitive data and information:

• Install an antivirus on all your devices.
• Try to use a VPN service to avoid unwanted access to your data or spying on your online activity.
• Use complex passwords to provide greater security for your devices. Try to include numbers, symbols, and a combination of upper and lower case letters.
• With the advent of 5G many more Internet of Things related devices will become popular. It’s highly recommended to update the default passwords that these devices include. Follow the instructions on your device to update the admin/password credentials of your devices.
• Always update all IoT devices. This, of course, includes your cellphone, computers, all smart home devices, and even your car's infotainment system. Any device that connects to the Internet, Bluetooth, or other data radio should have the latest updates to maintain its security.