Ever more 5G phones are landing and there’s now quite a large selection, with some great ones to choose from, offering a wide range of specs and features.
They also vary in price, with affordable options like the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G now having launched.
However, this list focuses on the best of the best – and that inevitably means the included handsets are expensive. But from the stunning Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to the slick OnePlus 9 Pro and beyond, they’re well worth the money.
You’ll find details about these and more below, and we’ll keep updating this list as more 5G phones arrive. But for now, ranked from worst to best, here are the best 5G phones available to buy today.
The iPhone 12 along with its siblings is Apple’s first 5G phone, and it’s a great first attempt. While it’s not the top of the range it achieves a tempting combination of price and features, so may well be the model that most people buy.
It has a 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED screen with HDR10 support, potentially more power than any 2020 Android phone from its A14 Bionic chipset, a great dual-lens camera (with 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lenses), a premium design, and a surprisingly durable build – with Ceramic Shield protection keeping the screen safer from drops than most phones, and water resistance to depths of 6 metres.
With MagSafe tech too (allowing you to attach accessories using magnets), plus Apple’s unrivalled Face ID facial recognition, there’s a lot to like here.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is the middle child in the Samsung Galaxy S21 range, which likely means it will be the best choice for most people.
That’s because it combines much of the premium tech (and large screen size) of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with a slightly lower price more in tune with the standard Galaxy S21.
Beyond having 5G, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has a top-end Exynos 2100 chipset, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and a stylish metal and glass build (that’s more durable than it looks thanks to the use of tough Gorilla Glass Victus).
It also has a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2400 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support. So while it’s not quite as high resolution as some of the top flagships, the rest of the screen tech is top of the range.
There’s a capable triple-lens camera too, plus an in-screen fingerprint scanner, water resistance, and wireless charging.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is the top OnePlus flagship and it’s a phone that puts the camera first – which isn’t something you can say about many OnePlus handsets.
This one was made in collaboration with famed camera maker Hasselblad, and it includes a 48MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto one (with 3.3x optical zoom), a 2MP monochrome one (to improve black and white shots), and a 50MP ultra-wide one.
We’ve left the best until last there, as that ultra-wide snapper has a freeform lens that reduces distortion at the edge of images – something most ultra-wide phone cameras suffer from.
Beyond the camera, the OnePlus 9 Pro also has a speedy Snapdragon 888 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, and a pin-sharp 6.7-inch 1440 x 3216 AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.
Its 4,500mAh battery also charges super-fast, with support for 65W wired charging or 50W wireless, so even if you’re making the most of that 5G connection to download lots of data – something which might drain the battery quickly - you won’t be out of action for long.
Though if it’s a bit too pricey you could always consider the almost-as-good OnePlus 9.
The iPhone 12 Pro is arguably the best iPhone you can buy, packing in most of the same top-end tech as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but in a more manageable size and at a slightly lower price.
As well as 5G it also has a quad-lens camera, adding to the 12MP main and ultra-wide sensors of the standard iPhone 12 with a 12MP telephoto one and a LiDAR scanner, which can judge depth and distances.
It also builds on the standard iPhone 12 by having a stainless steel frame, rather than a less premium aluminium one, while in most other areas it’s much the same – with top-end power, a 6.1-inch OLED screen, MagSafe, Face ID, and all the other features Apple’s phones are known for.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a thing of excess, as it has everything most people should need from a phone and then some.
Beyond obviously offering 5G, it also has enormous amounts of power, from an Exynos 2100 chipset paired with up to 16GB of RAM, plus one of the best screens you’ll find on a phone – it’s a 6.8-inch 1440 x 3200 AMOLED one with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support.
Then there’s its camera – you get a quad-lens one, including a 108MP main snapper, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto (with 3x optical zoom), and a 10MP periscope (with 10x optical zoom). So it can zoom far further than most phones.
It also supports Samsung’s S Pen stylus (though this is sold separately), and has a luxurious build, water resistance, a big 5,000mAh battery, a 40MP front-facing camera, and more. In short, this is the ultimate 2021 Android phone, and for our money the best 5G phone you can buy.
So there you have it, the five best 5G phones available now. Given the high cost of 5G phones there’s not an option for everyone, but if you’re on a slightly limited budget then the iPhone 12 would be a good choice.
If you’ve got a bit more to spend and want a flagship then consider the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus or OnePlus 9 Pro.
Towards the top of our list though we have the high-end iPhone 12 Pro, then the ultra-premium Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – the latter of which is for our money the best 5G phone you can buy.
Whichever one of these phones you choose though you’ll end up with a great, future-proofed handset that will help you make the most of 5G. Just make sure there’s 5G coverage in your area first.
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