Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Speed Test Results Restore Our Faith In The Next-Generation Network

Not long ago, Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, with the last phone called Galaxy S10 5G. We have also heard a lot of rumors, reports, and have built for ourselves expectation that the fifth-generation network will be much faster, offering a superior data experience. Now, according to dozens of tests conducted by Cnet that took four hours and involved seven cell sites with Verizon’s 5G network, we can have high hope in 5G again.

Galaxy S10 5G data tests broke the 1Gbps barrier

The phone used in this test was preloaded with an account as well as apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Speedtest.net. The test took place at seven locations in Chicago, US, where Verizon’s 5G network is available.

At each spot, the reporter carried out at least two speed tests on both the S10 5G and the 4G-only S10 Plus, using Verizon’s network and via the server Speedtest.net. The speeds recorded were between 400Mbps and 1Gbps, with for locations reaching the top speed. It’s worth noting that 5G only works for downloads, upload speeds are currently still in 4G.

According to Mike Haberman, Verizon’s network vice president, it’s important to see good reliability, and download speed is the first thing people think of when it comes to 5G.

The real-world test shows ultra-fast speed

Testing the fifth-generation network on the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G shows even more impressive and critical benchmarking downloading speeds, including large apps, TV shows, movies, which we use in daily life.

At one location, it took less than five minutes to download The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's season 2 from Amazon Prime Video, approximately 10 hours of content. To compare, it took four minutes to download episode 1 of the season.

At another location, it took less than 2.5 minutes to download and install the 1.86GB PUBG. This is impressive considering that Verizon said Google Play's servers do not currently support 5G networks.

Then, when the reported downloaded a 2-hour movie from Netflix, it took only 8 seconds; the second time was a bit longer though, 10.4 seconds. However, downloading the movie with 4G failed to finish after 2 minutes, so the reporter stopped trying after two attempts. According to Verizon spokespeople, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have been optimized to support its 5G network.

The test results in the real world are encouraging as it means we can expect lightning fast download speeds in the best scenario of 5G.

The battery ran out pretty fast though

The test started at 10 a.m. with 100% battery. After four hours, it went down to 53%, and down to 40% one and a half hour later, which was quick for a 4,500mAh battery. But considering that the Galaxy S10 5G worked continuously for 5.5 hours on downloading requests with a large screen on full brightness, this is acceptable.

Haberman said that it makes sense to expect its battery life to be augmented, which is what Samsung does.

There’s still a lot of work to do to perfect 5G

No matter what, we will eventually move to the fifth-generation networks. However, the road is still long with several issues to overcome.

Network coverage: There haven’t been a lot of 5G spots and it’s unclear what will happen when more people upgrade to 5G.

Cost: Both 5G phones and 5G plans will be thousands of rupees more expensive.

5G signals can’t travel through walls and windows, causing 70% signal loss. This means, for now, users can’t use 5G indoors when the nodes are outdoors.

To get benefits like real-time sports streaming will take years.

Qualcomm’s 5G chips are obsolete.

So, while the speed tests show promising results, we need to remember that 5G adoption won’t take place overnight, but rather gradually.