Eager to Buy a 5G iPhone? Why You May Want to Wait Until Later This Year (or Even 2023)

With wireless carriers promising that 5G, the fifth-generation mobile network, will deliver faster service and increased accessibility, you may be thinking your iPhone is due for an upgrade. It’s an especially enticing hook for business owners wanting to give themselves and their employees the best technology available. But, as many early reviews have found, you may be better off waiting until later in the year, or even until next year, to make the switch.

Price tags for a 5G-compatible iPhone vary from $429 to $1,100, and the iPhone 13 series comes with a variety of upgrades depending on which model you choose. However, as Inc. tech columnist Jason Aten warns, using 5G service can drain your battery, and 5G coverage is inconsistent at best for many people. Unless you live in a big city, Aten writes, you’re unlikely to be able to experience the fastest 5G that’s being advertised.

Your wireless carrier also factors into whether you should upgrade now or wait, PCMag reports. If your carrier is AT&T, the fastest 5G service won’t be supported until the release of the iPhone 14 (rumored to be September 2022), so it’s best to wait to upgrade until it does. If Verizon is your carrier, it may be worth upgrading now if you live in a large city within reach of C-band coverage. Otherwise, PCMag suggests holding off until the end of 2023 when coverage is likely expanded.

T-Mobile customers, on the other hand, should consider upgrading now. PCMag found that coverage and speed have improved with the new 5G phones, and the carrier plans on tripling 5G coverage this year.

The extended deadline for the 2025 Inc. Best in Business Awards is this Friday, September 19, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.