The 10 Coolest 5G Devices Of 2022 (So Far)
Supply chain and chip shortages aren’t stopping IT vendors from flooding the market with 5G-capable smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Check out 10 of the coolest 5G devices you can find today.
The Latest And Greatest
5G, the latest generation of cellular technology, promises blazing-fast speeds and significantly lower latency connectivity. It’s powering brand-new use cases that are exciting and delighting both consumers and business users alike, especially at a time when companies are embracing new forms of connectivity to grow their businesses and think outside the box.
Far from a must-have, cellular connectivity has been historically thought of as a secondary option, and only when the primary connection failed. 5G, however, is turning that thought process on its ear because not only is it one of the fastest, most robust connectivity options the world has seen so far, but it’s power technology well beyond what current mobile technology even allows. It lets applications and communications running on 5G connect and share data in near real-time. It’s opening the door for the acceleration of the shift to autonomous vehicles and the remote monitoring of crops, health and safety, to name a few use cases.
5G went from buzzword to mainstream last year when devices harnessing the latest cellular connectivity option really started hitting the market. While the global supply chain crisis is causing problems for manufacturers struggling to get their hands on the components and chips needed to support 5G, the usual suspects are still coming out with 5G-capable smartphones, laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1’s, including Apple, Samsung, and HP. Also joining the fray with 5G capabilities are market newcomers or manufacturers based outside of the States, like Vivo and Nokia.
CRN rounded up 10 of the coolest 5G devices on the market in 2022… so far:
* iPad Pro
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
Introduced in January, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a mid-range 5G smartphone that provides many of the features found in more expensive S21 devices, including “powerful performance, a pro-grade camera and seamless ecosystem connectivity,” according to Samsung.
The S21 FE 5G sports the phone series’ contour-cut frame and comes with four color options: Olive, Lavender, White or Graphite. It also features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate as well as an advanced 32-megapixel front camera that is bolstered by Samsung’s AI face restoration capabilities. The back of the phone is outfitted with a 12-megapixel wide camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and an 8-megapixel telephone camera that supports up to 30x zoom.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at $599 or can be bought cheaper with the trade-in of another mobile device.
More Specs on Samsung.com
iPhone 13 (All Models)
The latest version of Apple’s iPhone is the second generation on iPhone that supports 5G. The smartphone comes in four models — the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13, and the iPhone 13 Mini -- and all four models feature 5G connectivity compatible with the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon 5G network. The 5G-capable iPhone lets users download movies, stream higher-quality video, and FaceTime in HD at high speeds and boasts a Qualcomm X60 modem
The iPhone 13 prices differ by model and starts at $699.
More Specs on Apple.com
Lenovo Flex 5G
The Lenovo Flex 5G contains lightning-fast 5G connectivity inside. The PC was designed exclusively to work on the Verizon network. A slim form factor, this 2-in-1 portable device comes packed with a 2.84GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon 8cx 5G Compute Platform. The Lenovo Flex 5G supports 5G UW high-band (mmWave) only, 5G Nationwide and 4G LTE from the Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier.
The Lenovo Flex 5G can be found for $1399.99
More specs on Lenovo.com
Nokia G400
The Nokia G400 is getting a lot of buzz. The highly affordable 5G smartphone with a 120Hz refresh rate screen from HMD Global that will cost just $239, according to the company.
Little information is available publicly from HMD Global, but multiple websites reported that the Nokia G400 has three cameras on the back: a 48-megapixel main camera, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The smartphone will be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAH battery, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The phone will be available in the second quarter with support from TracFone Wireless, Inc., Dish Wireless, Consumer Cellular and T-Mobile.
The Nokia G400, which is reportedly going to be available in some countries beginning November 2022.
More specs on Nokia.com
Dell Latitude 9420
Dell Technologies came out with its new Latitude 9420 notebook last year, available both as a 2-in-1 or a clamshell model. The notebook sports a 14-inch display with FHD+ resolution (clamshell model) or QHD+ resolution (for the 2-in-1 model), as well as a 16:10 aspect ratio to offer a 5-percent larger viewing area. The Latitude 9420 offers optional support for new kinds of connectivity, including high-speed 5G or LTE, along with Wi-Fi 6.
The Dell Latitude 9420 starts at $1,849.00.
More specs on Dell.com
Astro Slide 5G
The Astro Slide 5G features a blast from the past: full physical keyboard. Mobile handset manufacturer Planet Computers has come to the market with the first 5G-capable smartphone with a keyboard, which slides out from behind the device, giving users a large and wide typing surface with backlit mechanical keys that can be programmed for a variety of tasks. The Astro Slide 5G features a 6.39-inch MOLED display as well as a 48-megapixel rear camera. It’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800 chipset, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The device just became available globally starting at about $769.
More specs on Planetcom.co.uk
iPad Pro
Apple in 2021 extended its in-house M1 chip to two more products, which brought the high-performance processor to the iMac and the iPad Pro for the first time. The latest iPad Pro comes in an 11-inch and a 12.9-inch model, as well as the iPad Air (5th generation), and iPad mini (6th generation) which all support 5G using the 5G cellular networks of certain carriers.
The latest generation of the iPad Pro goes for $1,199.99 full-retail or can be financed through carriers, including T-Mobile and Verizon.
More specs on Apple.com
Vivo V23 5G
The Vivo V23 5G smartphone was revealed at CES 2022. The device comes with a 50-megapixel dual front camera, which includes an 8-megapixel super wide-angle lens, and it sports several “scene modes,” including autofocus, AI extreme night, steadiface selfie video, multi-style portrait, double exposure and dual-view video, among others. The rear camera consists of three lenses, including a 64-megapixel lens, and it supports some of the same scene modes plus others, like time lapse, ultra-stabilization and pro.
The body of the Vivo 23 5G changes color when exposed to direct sunlight, thanks to the use of Fluorite AG technology. It’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset and is capable of dual 5G standby. It also comes with up to 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage.
The Chinese-made Vivo V23 5G smartphone available now for about $383.
More specs on Vivo.com
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G
Touted as the first 5G-capable tablet on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G offers enhanced viewing on the 11-inch edge-to-edge display 128GB of storage, plus hours of life with its power-efficient battery. Not to mention, it can support 5G connectivity and high speeds for connecting, streaming and downloading from the country’s largest cellular carriers.
The 2-in-1 5G-capable Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 starts at $849.99.
More specs on Samsung.com
HP Spectre x360 14
The HP Spectre x360 14, configurable with 5G connectivity, features an Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and up to a 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD. The 13.5-inch display has a 3:2 aspect ratio and comes with up to a 3000x2000 resolution. The high-res screen is also OLED for a bold picture and an anti-reflective coating. The device offers a front-facing camera with IR sensor includes a shutter for added privacy and a fingerprint reader.
The HP Spectre x360 14 starts at $1,149.99
More specs on HP.com