5G Phones

Frequently asked questions

Which phones on Three are 5G-ready?

There are dozens of phones available on Three that support 5G. You can the latest models in the table below.

Which phone plans on Three come with 5G?

All of Three’s plans support 5G at no extra cost. That’s true whether you opt for Pay Monthly with a phone, SIM Only or Pay As You Go, and this ensures 5G is more affordable on Three than on some other networks, where you have to pay a premium.

What are the benefits of 5G?

5G has a lot of potential benefits and you’ll find a full overview of them in our What is 5G guide. But key benefits include download and upload speeds that are many times higher than on 4G, as well as lower latency (which also helps with the impression of speed, and especially with online gaming and other things where interactions need to be instant).

Extra speed is useful for obvious reasons – you can download and upload fast, for example. But it also opens up new use cases and improved content. For example, with 5G, rather than downloading 1080p videos, suddenly 4K and even 8K becomes a lot more viable.

In short, 5G makes the mobile data experience more like the fastest of home broadband connections, and in the future it might get faster still.

Why choose Three?

As well as offering 5G at no extra cost, Three also optionally has plans with unlimited data, so there really are no limits.

Plus, until May 23rd, 2022, the network offers extensive free roaming in 71 destinations, covering Europe and beyond. You can also tether with no limits (beyond your data allowance). And the network supports both Wi-Fi.

We've handpicked the best Three deals available today, including some exclusives!

What is the cheapest 5G phone?

At the time of writing, the cheapest 5G phone available on Three is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G.

Of course, prices change regularly and new phones get released, so check the deals above for the most up to date information.

Where is 5G coverage available?

At the time of writing, Three offers partial 5G coverage in over 300 locations, including (but not limited to):

Aberdeen, Abingdon-on-Thames, Aldershot, Balloch, Barrow-in-Furness, Basildon, Basingstoke, Bath, Bedford, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Borehamwood, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Brookmans Park, Cannock, Cardiff / Caerdydd, Carlisle, Chatham, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Clayton-le-Woods, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Cullingworth, Derby, Doncaster, Dundee, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Gorebridge, Grimsby, Guildford, Heanor, Hedge End, Hemel Hempstead, Huddersfield, Inchinnan, Ipswich, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Leyland, Liverpool, London, Lower Stondon, Luton, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Motherwell, Neston, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newquay, Norwich, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Oxford, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Redcar, Royston, Sheffield, Shelly Green, Slough, Southampton, St Albans, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon, Sunderland, Swadlincote, Swansea / Abertawe, Swindon, Westhoughton, Wickford, Wigan, Windsor, Wolverhampton, Worcester and York.

You can expect coverage to improve rapidly too, but it’s always worth checking 5G coverage in your area, even if your town or city is listed as having 5G as not all parts of these places will have 5G on day one. You can check Three’s 5G coverage here.

What 5G iPhones are available?

The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini all support 5G.

What else should I consider when choosing a 5G phone and plan?

While all of Three’s plans support 5G, you should also consider how much data you might want. To make the most of 5G it might be worth going for a high limit, especially if you plan to do lots of streaming or downloading. Fortunately, Three also offers plans with unlimited data. Of course, if you’re a lighter user you’ll be able to get away with a lot less.

As for 5G phones, they all differ in terms of their other specs and features. In general, the more you spend the better a phone you’ll get, but power, camera, battery, screen, design, water resistance and more are all things you might want to factor in, depending on what you care about in a phone.

Power, screen and battery in particular are things where the better they are, the better they pair with 5G – all that data speed is less useful if your phone is lacking the power to keep up, while a good screen will make streamed and downloaded games and videos look better, and a large battery will let you use lots of 5G between charges.

Can I keep my number?

Absolutely. Full details can be found in our keep your number guide. But basically, if you’re currently on a different network you just need to get your PAC code from your old network, then give it to Three, which will handle the rest of the process for you.