5G Compatibility Is Coming To The LG Wing And Google Pixel 5

One of the strangest phones to debut in 2020 was the LG Wing. The smartphone was notable for having a small lower screen and a rotating larger screen resulting in a phone shaped like a "T." A new report indicates that the device will get access to C-band 5G frequencies allowing it to offer faster data access on the Verizon network. Upgrades are set to hit the smartphone in 2021 and 2022.

Another popular smartphone, the Google Pixel 5, has also been authorized to use the same 5G frequencies by the FCC. Both smartphones have been granted a "class 2 permissive change", something the government agency uses when authorizing new radio abilities or frequency bands. In this instance, the class 2 permissive change allows LG and Google to issue new software for the smartphones adding the C-band frequencies.

Smartphone users are clamoring for devices that operate on the 5G spectrum, and carriers are spending heavily upgrading their networks. In the US, carriers have spent more than $80 billion licensing the C-band frequencies. For now, it's unknown how much frequency each of the carriers were able to land.

C-band is notable for end-users because it offers better speed than the nationwide 5G service offered by Verizon and AT&T. C-band also offers longer range than the Verizon ultra wideband 5G service. C-band networks are expected to go online at the end of 2021 or in early 2022. It's worth noting that the SEC filings were specific to the Verizon and AT&T version of the LG Wing and don't apply to the version available at T-Mobile.

Verizon was the biggest bidder in the C-band airwave auction, spending around $30 billion on its own. Estimates are that AT&T could've spent $20 billion while T-Mobile spent $11 billion. T-Mobile didn't need as much airwaves as the other carriers because it has similar mid-band airwaves in its arsenal already.