Buying a new laptop :should I wait till they come with 5G

[thecyclist]

I am not very tech-savvy, so not even sure this question makes sense. I have made do with just a smartphone for 2 years, but it's about time to get a laptop again. But with the roll-out of 5G networks, which are supposed to be 100 times faster (downloading /streaming), in the works, I was wondering whether I should wait till new computers that can connect to 5G wifi become available, or is this something that applies only to smartphones and mobile data connection :obviously my current 4G smartphone will not be able to connect with 5G networks.

[OneMoreFarang]

To make it short: 99% of users won't need 5G and they won't even notice a difference if they have it or not.

And the 1% know that they (might) need it.

Summary: It's irrelevant for you.

[Jdiddy]

In Australia at least sub 6GHz 5G is just 4G with lipstick so far, not that much faster, rubbish range and penetration and drains battery much faster. With the mmWave 5G in the US it cant even penetrate a window.

 

In short dont worry about it until 2022

[JamJar]

5G has nothing to do with laptops. 

Have you even seen a laptop with even a 4G Wireless card within?

 

All laptops can connect to 5 GHz Wireless signal(which, theoretically can achieve speeds from 433 Mbps - 1.7 Gbps), either with their internal cards or with the help of an external USB adapter. Just look for 802.11ac in the specification.

It is through this that 5G technology will be fed to your laptop. so in fact you need only 802.11ac on your laptop.

[shady86]

There is only a handful of laptops with built in WAN, mostly business laptops targeting users who need all time connectivity.

5G for WiFi is already supported by most modern laptops.

4G network will stay for at least 10 years, same as 3G which is still around now.

[Salerno]

15 minutes ago, JamJar said:

Have you even seen a laptop with even a 4G Wireless card within?

 

Yes.

[JamJar]

25 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Yes.

 

The question was for the OP.

The point being that it is not something that he would expect to see in an everyday laptop in any case.

You might find the odd one that has a Snapdragon X16 LTE Modem installed; 

https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon-modems-4g-lte-x16

 

But they are "as rare as hen's teeth".

 

So if the OP wants Gigabit wireless capability, he can look out for laptops with a similar chipset.

 

[CharlieH]

41 minutes ago, shady86 said:

There is only a handful of laptops with built in WAN, mostly business laptops targeting users who need all time connectivity.

5G for WiFi is already supported by most modern laptops.

4G network will stay for at least 10 years, same as 3G which is still around now.

Indeed, my laptop is around 3 yr old and has a 5g wifi connection that I am on right now.

[dimitriv]

44 minutes ago, shady86 said:

5G for WiFi is already supported by most modern laptops.
 

 

You mix things up.

 

Wifi frequencies can 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz.  But that is completely different than 4G or 5G for mobiles.

 

 

[dimitriv]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Indeed, my laptop is around 3 yr old and has a 5g wifi connection that I am on right now.

 

The Wifi on your laptop can be 2,4 GHz and/or 5 GHz.  But Wifi is never 5G.  5G is used for mobile phones. 

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

The Wifi on your laptop can be 2,4 GHz and/or 5 GHz.  But Wifi is never 5G.  5G is used for mobile phones. 

Appreciate the info, thanks. Learn something new everyday????

 

Easy mistake I suppose when its labelled as 5g on available connections.

[JamJar]

14 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Indeed, my laptop is around 3 yr old and has a 5g wifi connection that I am on right now.

 

No, you are utilising the 5GHz waveband. Nothing to do with 5th generation mobile networking.

 

Oops...already answered above.

 

It's a regular misunderstanding.

Edited August 25, 2019 by JamJar

[CharlieH]

Just now, JamJar said:

 

No, you are utilising the 5GHz waveband. Nothing to do with 5th generation mobile networking.

So I understand from the post above, thanks.

[Stocky]

12 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

You mix things up.

 

Wifi frequencies can 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz.  But that is completely different than 4G or 5G for mobiles.

 

It's one of these stupid abbreviation stuff ups - wifi 5G references 5Ghz frequency band, whilst 5G mobile is 5th Generation.

[Salerno]

18 minutes ago, JamJar said:

But they are "as rare as hen's teeth".

Hens in your neck of the woods must have poor dental hygeine;

 

https://www.lmc.com.au/catalog/tagged/Notebooks_and_Laptops/All/Connectivity/4G

 

[shady86]

 
You mix things up.
 
Wifi frequencies can 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz.  But that is completely different than 4G or 5G for mobiles.
 
 

Nope, I only missed out hz behind G. I'm sure most know by now wifi only comes in 2.4 and 5ghz frequencies. That's why I'm talking for WiFi, not WAN.

[JamJar]

3 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Hens in your neck of the woods must have poor dental hygeine;

 

https://www.lmc.com.au/catalog/tagged/Notebooks_and_Laptops/All/Connectivity/4G

 

 

In my neck of the woods, they can both read and spell ????

 

Quote

 ....it is not something that he would expect to see in an everyday laptop

 

The lowest priced laptop on your listing is AU$1,445, which rises quickly as you browse further.

 

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, JamJar said:

 

Have you even seen a laptop with even a 4G Wireless card within?

 

 

Fairly common on high end models.

[Salerno]

7 minutes ago, JamJar said:

 

In my neck of the woods, they can both read and spell ????

 

 

The lowest priced laptop on your listing is AU$1,445, which rises quickly as you browse further.

 

Cool, turn into a grammar nazi and <deleted> just because proven wrong; not surprising given this is TV. Price wasn't mentioned in OP, nor was "everyday". As for "everyday", personally my laptops over the years have been in the AU$1500 to AU$2000 so not seeing your point.

[thecyclist]

Thanks for your expert replies:Looks like something I won't have to worry. It's definitely not going to be a high-end device :15000 Baht is the  limit for me. 

[luckyluke]

2 hours ago, thecyclist said:

I am not very tech-savvy

So you have a very concrete answer with post number 2.

 

I am the same, afraid to ask a question in this matter, usually you get an answer with so much technical details ( pretty sure they mean it well ) that you are more perplex than before.

Also pretty sure that the answers are helpful for the ones who understand them.

[Matzzon]

To make a very long irrelevant thread shorther. To OP: I guess that depends on how much you need a new laptop. The differens from4G to 5G will not be visible for the unprofessional eye anyway.

[onlycw]

Well, I would recommend upgrading the laptop by i. adding more RAM and ii. a SSD. iii. if it doesn't have a slot for a data SIM card, then you might buy a HUAWEI hotspot. 

 

I like Thinkpads off www.ebay.com and got the one I'm using now for $ 65. X-131E, a Chromebook. It boots in 8 seconds, powers down in 2. 11.6", small and rugged. Well worth the money!

 

I doubled the RAM to 8 GB... Paid about 500 THB for the 4 GB RAM and shipping.

...

FYI, I would recommend buying a second hand machine to use for the next year or 2. THEN go get a machine with the latest SSD technology (data transfer rates > 3,300 Mbit). by then, high end APUs in the 7nm process will be available...

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, Salerno said:

Cool, turn into a grammar nazi and <deleted> just because proven wrong; not surprising given this is TV. Price wasn't mentioned in OP, nor was "everyday". As for "everyday", personally my laptops over the years have been in the AU$1500 to AU$2000 so not seeing your point.

 

I wrote everyday and you quoted me. Even though I was writing in reply to the OP and you decided to jump in.

Now it is clear that the OP was referring to laptops within a limit of 15k baht, you can cool your heels.

 

The OP now understands that Wireless ac is what is important for him for when it comes to laptops and he also understands the difference between 5 GHz wireless transceivers and 5th generation mobile networking(5G). That is what is important here.

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, luckyluke said:

So you have a very concrete answer with post number 2.

 

I am the same, afraid to ask a question in this matter, usually you get an answer with so much technical details ( pretty sure they mean it well ) that you are more perplex than before.

Also pretty sure that the answers are helpful for the ones who understand them.

 

I try to make my answers understandable to everyone. So if there is something that you don't understand, just ask.

 

The confusion often resides with the naming coincidence of a 5th generation of mobile network(5G) and the frequencies used by Routers supplied by your Internet Service Providers supply to you for WiFi use at your home.

Older Routers would use the 2.4 GHz waveband which whilst able to penetrate further through walls in your home, is capable of lower bandwidth(speeds). 5 GHz waveband is capable of carrying high speed, but has a lower capability of going through walls.

So you will find Routers that utilise both wavebands. Especially because older products with older Wireless card that cannot connect on the 5 GHz waveband.

Example here; https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-WN725N-Mbps-Wireless-N-Adapter/dp/B008IFXQFU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_147_t_2/260-7026919-9248867

 

That will only be able to connect on the 2.4GHz WiFi waveband of your Router.

 

This; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Foktech-802-11ac-Wireless-Network-10-5-10-13/dp/B06XZ5B5G9/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_147_t_0/260-7026919-9248867 can connect on either.

 

 

Here is where it can get confusing;

 

Apart from our ISP at home supplying Broadband to our homes, we can also tether our mobile SIMs to provide a WiFi signal for our devices. In this case we can use a 3G/4G/5G signal from a SIM card and then turn it into a WiFi signal using your Phone's HotSpot function, MiFi or 4G/5G Router proper, creating a WiFi signal.

Now that WiFi signal from the Phone's HotSpot function, MiFi or 4G/5G Router proper, can be transmitted from that equipment over either the 2.4GHz waveband or the 5GHz waveband.

 

So in this way, you will be able to make use of 5th Generation mobile networks(5G). In other words, if you tether.

 

I hope this make it a bit clearer.

 

5th generation mobile networks is not the same thing as the 5GHz waveband used to transmit/receive by your home router.

 

Any more questions, just ask. Don't be afraid to do so.

 

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by JamJar

[CharlieH]

reported post removed

[JamJar]

9 minutes ago, Salerno said:

This site is an excellent resource for info,

 

One could say that I have contributed to it being an excellent source. My posts are generally informative. Take a look.

 

Whereas when it comes to peeing contests, so far, you are the only one who has boasted that you regularly spend AU$1500 to AU$2000 on your laptops. You have done nothing to help the OP. 

Only adding a distraction in your haste to post in anger.

 

 

 

 

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

To make a very long irrelevant thread shorther. To OP: I guess that depends on how much you need a new laptop. The differens from4G to 5G will not be visible for the unprofessional eye anyway.

 

Completely wrong.

[Scott]

Troll posts reported and removed.   Continue and you will get suspended.  

[luckyluke]

JamJar, why do you think my post was adressed to you in particular? 

 

Sorry, I didn't go further in reading your post, much too long and technical. 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by luckyluke