5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019. If you want to read more about our considerations, read our blog post on 5G.

Fairphone 5 and Fairphone 4

Fairphone 5 and Fairphone 4 are optimized for European cellular networks and supports Standard 5G technology (also called Sub-6GHz or Everyday 5G). They use an increased number of bands to transfer data to the network. The speed and latency are improved compared to 4G/LTE.

Both the eSIM and the nano-SIM slot are 5G enabled. However, only one SIM card at a time will be active on the 5G network. If you want to take advantage of 5G, make sure your SIM card and mobile subscription plan support 5G.

For more details on the network capabilities of each Fairphone, you can check the our article on network coverage.

Why add 5G? Is LTE not enough?

The 5G technology is still growing and getting implemented around the world, but we want you to use your phone for a long time. So it is important that your device is compatible with this technology and ready for the latest network developments.

What about mmWave support?

Fairphone 5 and Fairphone 4 do not support mmWave technology. This cannot be enabled with a future update. The main reason for this choice is that the availability of mmWave across Europe is still scarce and we couldn't justify the higher costs.

Is 5G Standalone (SA) supported?

Fairphone 5 supports 5G SA but this is enabled only on select networks. As our network partners expand their 5G SA capabilities, the list of supported networks will grow.

Currently, Fairphone 5 can use 5G SA on the following networks:

• Vodafone Germany
• ... more to come!

Fairphone 4 does not support 5G SA.

Fairphone 3(+)

Fairphone 3(+) does not support 5G. Unfortunately, we are unable to add support to 5G in Fairphone 3(+) with a future software update or hardware component upgrade. In short, the reason is that many components in the core module need to support 5G for it to be implemented. That's not the case for all parts of the Fairphone 3(+) - for example the antennas are not 5G capable.

If after reading the article you need more help, contact our Customer Support.