Many consumers pay attention to the models of the non-bank version when buying mobile phones. The reason may be that the models of some regions are cheaper than the bank version of the country, or because they want to have something that the Bank of China does not currently have. Brand or model. In addition, for people who plan to work or live in a certain area for a long time in the future, it will be more convenient to buy a mobile phone that is more in line with the local network and services.
The improvement of smartphone technology in the 4G era has given many people the mindset that mobile phones can support global frequency bands. However, after entering the 5G era, frequency bands have once again become a problem for consumers who like to buy international versions of mobile phones. , Because it is not just buying a 5G mobile phone that can be applied to 5G networks of all operators.
4G mobile phones can basically be bought casually
First of all, if you still choose to buy a 4G mobile phone, for example, many people still prefer to buy the Hong Kong version of the iPhone SE, because the price is slightly lower, and there is an additional eSIM function, and even the domestic gods have successfully realized the physical SIM card welding Go to the operation on the eSIM board. In most cases, mobile phones are fully compatible with existing domestic networks, and users of the three major operators can use them normally.
However, if it is a US version or a European version of the model, you need to pay attention, especially for many software development companies, or personally like the Google pro-son series, the European version will have the problem of incompatibility with the existing China Mobile TD-LTE network In addition, if you want to use China Telecom’s network, you also need to modify the mobile phone system twice before it can be used normally. For users of China Unicom, since the frequency band and standard are consistent with most operators in the world, they can use it with confidence.
The best version of 5G mobile phone-Hong Kong version
For 5G mobile phones, the current best version is undoubtedly the Hong Kong version. For example, Samsung mobile phones, whether it is the Galaxy S20 series or the folding screen Galaxy Z series, the Hong Kong version has a huge price advantage compared to the Bank of China, and it can also Enjoy the nationwide warranty. In terms of 5G frequency band support, it supports the current 5G networks of the three major domestic operators.
Another version with a more favorable price is the Korean version, but in terms of network support, it only supports 5G networks of China Unicom and China Telecom. After all, the 2.6GHz frequency band currently used by China Mobile is still relatively rare in the world. In addition, in overseas markets, mobile phone manufacturers have generally begun to choose the physical SIM card + eSIM dual card dual standby solution, so the Korean version of the model has only one physical card slot. For domestic users, it means that only Can use a single card.
The US version of 5G models need to be carefully identified in frequency bands. Some early 5G mobile phones even only support the millimeter wave frequency band. If used in China, it is only a slightly heavy 4G mobile phone. A large number of 5G models released this year are compatible with the Sub-6GHz frequency band and millimeter wave frequency band, but the Sub-6GHz frequency band is not consistent with the current domestic 5G frequency band. However, the US version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series has now added support for the n41 band, which means that it can support the current China Mobile 5G network.
Don’t think about millimeter wave at this stage, there will be a play in the European version in the future
For the millimeter wave frequency band that will definitely be deployed in the future, none of the mobile phones currently sold in the country support this frequency band, but many Korean, US, and Japanese models in 2020 have begun to support millimeter waves. According to statistics, there are currently 17 models of 5G terminals supporting the millimeter wave frequency band, and it is expected that there will be more than 20 models by the end of the year, including brands such as Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, LG, OnePlus, and ZTE.
So, the question is if you buy a model with a built-in millimeter wave frequency band, can you use it after the domestic 5G millimeter wave frequency band is opened? At present, the answer is no, because the millimeter wave frequency band is also very likely to be inconsistent.
At present, the domestic millimeter wave test frequency band is 24.75GHz-27.5GHz, or n258, which is different from the current foreign millimeter wave frequency band. For example, the millimeter wave frequency bands that are commercially available in the United States are Verizon’s 28GHz, AT&T’s 39GHz, and T-Mobile’s 28GHz and 39GHz, that is, n260 and n261. The millimeter wave frequency band auctioned in Japan is 27.4GHz-29.5GHz, and the millimeter wave frequency band auctioned in South Korea is 26.5GHz-28.9GHz, which belongs to n257. However, there is news that the United States will also use the 26GHz millimeter wave frequency band in the future.
It is expected that the European version will be compatible with the domestic millimeter wave test frequency bands in the future. The EU preferentially selects 24.25GHz-27.5GHz and 40.5GHz-43.5GHz as the 5G millimeter wave frequency bands. Among them, the 26.5GHz-27.5GHz auctioned by Italy is compatible with n258. Germany will plan 24.25GHz-27.5GHz for 5G services in phases. The UK has also decided to implement spectrum sharing in the 26GHz frequency band for 5G indoor coverage. In other words, the future European version of 5G models that support millimeter wave networks will have the possibility of being compatible with domestic millimeter wave networks.
Finally, let’s summarize. If you are buying a 4G mobile phone, you can basically buy it at will, but users of China Mobile need to be careful. If you are buying a 5G mobile phone, you don’t need to consider the millimeter wave problem at this stage. From the perspective of the degree of support for Sub-6GHz, the Hong Kong version is the first choice, and the Korean version has a good price/performance ratio. In the future, once the millimeter wave is officially deployed, the European version may become the sweet pastry in the market.
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