A few days ago, Orange surprised us by announcing that it was launching its 5G+ network, the name given to 5G SA (stand alone). After applauding this progress, the truth is that compatibility is still somewhat limited, at least in terms of mobile phones compatible with the service.
Although the current coverage at the moment covers four of the most populated provincial capitals, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia, there is still work to be done on the scope, since there are only 6 mobiles that Orange has classified as compatible to date.
Mobile phones currently compatible with 5G+
Ericsson, Nokia and Oracle Communications are the core network providers in Orange’s 5G Stand Alone (SA). These cores are compatible with many of the modems that currently integrate 5G mobile phones, but Orange has only marked the following six as compatible:
- Samsung Galaxy S22
- Samsung Galaxy S22+
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Xiaomi 12
- Xiaomi 12 pro
- Xiaomi 12T
It is expected that this list will grow soon, since the vast majority of the most modern 5G smartphones have modems compatible with 5G SA , but Orange will have to do something in its network to extend compatibility to all of them and for now the projection is only up to 11 compatible models.
The step taken by Orange is really important, because it puts 5G at the hands of users in areas with coverage and a compatible smartphone that combines the two frequencies dedicated to 5G (700 and 3500 MHz) . The main direct benefit of this new network is very low latency and greater indoor coverage, which are precisely two of the main advantages that 5G had, but which were not manifested in all their splendor in the 5G NSA.
5G+ expansion plans for June 2023
This week 5G+ has been launched in 4 cities and with compatibility with the 6 devices that we have previously told you about. By June 2023 it will be extended both geographically, with plans for 18 cities, and in scope, with compatibility with 11 devices.
These plans are established in the presentation of results for the fourth quarter of 2022, where some of the commitments that the operator has in growth are established. At the moment it is unknown which will be the other 5 compatible mobile phones that will be added to the service , but it is most likely that they will continue to bet on two of the most popular brands such as Samsung (all the ballots for the three models of the Galaxy S23 series ) and Xiaomi and the most modern iPhones should also be added.
