One of the most frequently asked questions in India is – Should we buy a 5G mobile phone in 2021 or not? This is undoubtedly a tough question to answer given that the rollout of the 5G network in India is still some distance away. However, the silver lining to this dilemma is that a couple of telecom operators in the country are working on deploying the 5G network sometime soon. Despite this, the Indian smartphone market is flooded with 5G smartphones. Be it OnePlus mobiles or Redmi ones or any other brand, phones supporting 5G bands are becoming common and becoming a major selling point.
Several smartphone companies are building hype around the 5G network as it enables them to sell their products in large numbers. By building hype around this network, there will also be scope for prices of 5G phones to fall down considerably by the time the technology reaches is made available to the public.
Customer’s dilemma
For customers eager to buy a 5G mobile phone, the dilemma still exists whether to buy the device or stick to a feature-rich 4G smartphone. It is a tough decision for customers to make whether they need a 5G device now or later. They can opt for a 4G phone hoping that they can stick with it for at least 18 to 24 months. Either way, the decision-making process is not going to be a simple one.
History of 5G phones in India
Before you decide on whether you need OnePlus mobiles with 5G support or Realme ones, you need to understand how 5G smartphones have evolved in the country. In the early part of 2020, two phones – iQOO 3 and the Realme X50 Pro were released with 5G support for a little over Rs. 40,000. In the next few months, a slew of OnePlus mobiles, Samsung mobiles, and others were released with the 5G capability. These phones raised several eyebrows as they were priced exorbitantly.
However, in the recent few months, even budget and mid-range category phones are being released with 5G support. The first phone that got released in India in the mid-range category was the OnePlus Nord. Since then, several smartphone companies have released phones with 5G around Rs. 20,000 mark. According to an estimate, the prices of phones will come down further. This is good news for customers waiting for 5G phones.
5G launch in India
There are only a couple of telecom operators in the country that have hinted at rolling out 5G networks in the near future. These companies are conducting on-field trials in various parts of the country to demonstrate the capability of this new technology. While Airtel has already made it public that they are trying out the 5G networks, Jio is building a 5G solution that will be indigenously built and ready to roll-out in the coming months.
TRAI or The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is expected to auction 5G frequency bands in the first half of 2022. According to some sources, the auctions will be held for 700 MHz to 2,500 MHz, though the bands between 3,300 MHz and 3,600MHz are more popular in other countries. It will take several months after the auction is held for the deployment of 5G networks and to make them available to people. So, customers with a 5G mobile phone already in their hands need to wait for a few more months to experience the new technology.
What next for 5G smartphone buyers?
Whether you want a new 5G phone or continue with the existing one, ideally, you want to get the best value for your money. Future plans and policies surrounding 5G will not make any difference to you now. Therefore, buying OnePlus mobiles with 5G support or any other device for that matter will not harm you in any way. However, if you are buying a phone only because of 5G, then it may not help you much. The best way forward for buyers would be to stick to their current phone for another few months. If for some reason, you are compelled to buy a new smartphone, make sure to buy one that supports enough 5G bands so that it becomes a future-proof device.
Buy a 5G smartphone using easy EMIs
There are plenty of 4G compatible phones already on the market. However, if you want to switch over to a 5G mobile phone then make sure you check the 5G bands it supports. Once decided, purchase the smartphone after becoming a part of the Bajaj Finserv EMI Network as you can do the payment using easy EMIs. A digital payment instrument like the Bajaj Finserv EMI Network Card can be used by any shopper to buy OnePlus mobiles and other branded mobiles in more than 1.2 lakh stores spread across 2,900 cities in India. The card also comes with a pre-approved loan offer of up to Rs. 4 Lakh.
