Windows laptops with 5G connectivity probably don't get talked about enough for how convenient they can be in the hands of the right user. Where they excel most is in a professional enterprise environment that requires constant connectivity, and that's exactly what a new partnership between Microsoft and Ericsson aims to improve.

The fresh initiative is set to integrate Ericsson's 5G capabilities straight into Windows 11. More specifically, it's a combination of Microsoft's Intune — a cloud-based device management platform for IT teams — and Ericsson's Enterprise 5G Connect platform.

What would some Windows news be without AI in 2026? Ericsson's 5G management platform is indeed driven by AI, designed to monitor the quality of your network while making automatic changes to improve performance and security.

One of the major hurdles traditionally standing in the way of broad 5G laptop adoption in enterprise settings is the setup and management process for IT teams. Ericsson says that its AI-based platform will be able to handle most of the drudgery with automated device connections, seamless switching between communications service provider (CSP) networks, and implementation of a company's own enterprise policies on each device.

Ericsson adds that new features include automatic eSIM switching, remote network policy management, and an overall improvement to performance and reliability.

The Microsoft-Ericsson announcement comes after several pilot programs were tested out in different markets. The companies plan to begin releasing enterprise 5G bundles with Microsoft 365, Intune, and Ericsson Enterprise 5G Connect, all in collaboration with CSPs.

In terms of hardware, the initial bundles will feature Surface Copilot+ PCs like the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11, two devices we count among the best Windows laptops in 2026.

At the time of the announcement, Ericsson says the new joint solution is available in the US with T-Mobile, in Sweden with Telenor, in Singapore with Singtel, and in Japan with SoftBank. More markets are expected to follow in 2026; Spain's MasOrange, Germany's O2, and Finland's Elisa are mentioned.

Ericsson brass has high hopes for this initiative, with CTO Erik Ekudden proclaiming that "this joint solution has the potential to transform enterprise IT and employee ways of working around the world."

We'd like to hear your thoughts

Are you happy to see 5G connectivity getting more attention in Windows laptops, regardless of its ties to enterprise markets? Let me know in the comments section!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft is about to kill off another "mobile" app, but you probably won't miss this one. The Mobile Plans app is set to retire, and Microsoft recommends using a browser instead.

The Mobile Plans app can be used to purchase and manage cellular plans, at least at the moment. Microsoft will retire the app on February 27, 2026.

Normally, I'd mourn the end of an app, but the Mobile Plans app is not anything special. Its core functionality is easily replaced by websites. Even though it was updated in June, the app’s Microsoft Store listing still references Windows 10 instead of Windows 11.

The end of the Mobile Plans app will not hurt the best 5G Windows laptops. Those devices will simply require a user to buy or manage cellular plans through the website of a provider.

If you've set up an eSIM data plan through the Mobile Plans app, it will continue to work. But you'll need to use a browser to manage existing data plans or eSIM profiles.

You can already activate eSIM on Windows 11 through a website, by using a QR code, or by entering details manually. Soon, the operating system will have a new feature to make the process easier.

A feature that's currently in testing among Windows Insiders prompts you to use the Settings app to share cellular identifiers with an operator's website. If you approve the prompt, those details will be passed to the carrier without you needing to type anything.

Microsoft explains that the feature will become generally available later this year and that mobile operators will add support throughout 2026.

Is 5G worth it on a laptop?

Staying connected to the web is essential for many workflows in 2025. While it is possible to tether a laptop to a smartphone or hotspot, using a PC with built-in 5G or 4G LTE support will provide a more seamless experience.

Assuming you are using one of the best data plans for Windows laptops, connecting to 5G or 4G LTE will ensure your PC is connected to the web.

READ MORE: How to set up eSIM on a laptop 🛜

Many of the best Windows laptops have 5G or 4G LTE options, including Microsoft's Surface Pro 11. Lenovo, HP, Panasonic, and Dell round out our list of the best laptops with 5G and 4G LTE connectivity.

Microsoft also reengineered the Surface Laptop 7 with 5G in mind, though the device is rather expensive. It's worth noting that much of the PC's high price comes from it being a business device with an Intel Core Ultra series 2 processor.

What is an eSIM?

There's a good chance that you've used a device with a physical SIM card. Many phones, tablets, and laptops have slots for a full-size SIM card or a Nano SIM card. Those cards allow you to connect your device to a network.

An eSIM provides similar functionality without requiring you to pop in a physical card. eSIM is short for "embedded SIM," meaning the SIM card is built directly into a device.

eSIMs are especially popular among those who travel, since they let you quickly switch to a carrier in another country while traveling. They are also a convenient way to keep your laptop connected to the web.

Depending on the device you have and the carrier you sign up with, your PC will be able to connect through 5G or 4G LTE. In many cases, a 4G LTE connection will cover the needs of people using a laptop on the go. A solid 5G connection will provide faster speeds and lower latency than 4G LTE, so it's a nice option to have.

Microsoft has announced that it's planning to launch a 5G equipped variant of the Surface Laptop later this year. This is the first time that the company is bringing 5G to its Surface Laptop line, as previously the only way to get a 5G capable Surface PC was via the Surface Pro.

Unfortunately, it looks like there's going to be a bit of wait before you can get your hands on a coveted Surface Laptop with 5G. Microsoft says that it will share more details about the 5G model in the coming months, pitting its availability as "later in 2025." Still, for those who have been waiting years for this product, it's time to finally celebrate.

The Surface Laptop with 5G was announced alongside Intel refreshes of the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 for business, suggesting 5G will only be available on the Intel models, a confusing choice.

There's also no wording on price, but if the Surface Pro with 5G is anything to go by, it will likely be a two- or three-hundred-dollar premium over the Wi-Fi only variants of a similar spec.

The latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are now available to buy in either Snapdragon or Intel flavors. The Intel models are exclusive to Microsoft's business storefront and commercial channels, and include additions such as anti-reflective screens, NFC, and a card reader.

As of today, Microsoft is also selling a new Surface USB4 Dock, which is $100 less than the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, albeit with less ports. Looking ahead, Microsoft is rumored to be introducing new, smaller versions of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop this spring, featuring 11- or 12-inch screens and Snapdragon X processors. Hopefully these smaller devices will also be configurable with 5G too.

What you need to know

• You can now pre-order Microsoft's new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 via its commercial storefront.
• The Surface Pro 11 for business includes new 5G configurations in either X Plus or X Elite flavors.
• Microsoft's "for business" hardware comes with Windows 11 Pro and more environmentally friendly packaging. 

If you've been waiting to buy the new Surface Pro 11 with 5G, or waiting for the device to be made available via Microsoft's commercial channels, the wait is finally over. You can now pre-order the Surface Pro 11 for business, and Surface Laptop 7 for business, which both come with Windows 11 Pro and more environmentally friendly packaging.

The Surface Pro 11 for business also includes new 5G configurations that Microsoft promised would launch later this year. The 5G models are available with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage, in either X Plus or X Elite SoC flavors. The X Plus model costs $1,399, and the X Elite model is $1,899. Unfortunately, the 5G model is not available in all regions.

Here are the specifications for the 5G modem in Surface Pro 11:

• 5G-NR SA/NSA, Release 15, DL 256 QAM up to 2.9 Gbps, 4x4 MIMO, UL 256 QAM 
• 4G Gigabit LTE – Advanced Pro, Release 15, DL Cat 19 up to 1.6 Gbps, 256QAM, 4x4 MIMO, 5x DL CA, UL Cat 18, 256 QAM, Contiguous 2x ULCA
• 5G-NR Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79
• LTE Bands  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71
• WCDMA Bands  1, 2, 4, 5, 8

Both the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop for business are only available in two colorways: Black and Platinum. The fun Dune and Sapphire colors are exclusive to the "consumer" facing variants of Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. Curiously, Microsoft notes that the Surface Pro for business will only include a power adapter in "select markets" with specific configurations.

Pre-orders for the Surface Pro 11 for business and Surface Laptop 7 for business start at $1,099, directly from the Microsoft Store for business. Orders are expected to begin shipping from September 10.

Working with a quality 5G Windows laptop usually means you need internet connectivity everywhere you go. The additional feature, delivered via eSIM or physical Nano-SIM, is ideal for frequent travelers, professionals, students, and practically anyone who wants a reliable and secure connection at all times even outside of Wi-Fi range.

Buying a great Windows laptop capable of handling a 5G or 4G LTE connection is only half of the setup. You also need to feed it a data plan, similar to one you'd get for your phone, albeit without the telephone number and call minutes.

Some providers offer local coverage in hundreds of countries, while others add regional and even global coverage. Plans range in duration and data allowance, letting you dial in exactly what you need for your next trip. Some local providers might make it easy to add to your existing plan, and you might even get a discount by doing so.

No matter the reason you're searching out a data plan for your Windows device, we've collected a bunch of the best data plans right here to help you get the perfect setup.

The quick list

Need a data plan for your laptop now? Our quick list might have the info you need to make the right decision. You can always click through any of the options for a more detailed breakdown of each service.

Best data plans for Windows laptops in 2024

With the quick list out of the way, let's dig into more details about these laptop data plans and why they might be ideal for your needs.

Best for travel

Airalo's local, regional, and global eSIM plans make it easy for travelers to get exactly what they need. You can sometimes find more affordable plans from a provider like Saily, but Airalo definitely has the best coverage.

Focusing first on local plans, Airalo offers eSIM data for your laptop in 205 different countries. Plan availability and pricing vary depending on the country, but most usually start with 1GB of data for 7 days as a baseline. 2GB of data for 15 days is another common option, and it appears in most cases that 20GB of data for 30 days is the top option. Many countries have more plans available.

As for regional eSIM plans, Airalo offers coverage in Africa, Caribbean Islands, Latin America, North America, Asia, Europe, and Middle East/North Africa. As with local plans, they start at 1GB of data and climb from there. The biggest data allowance I spotted is for 39 European countries, with 100GB of data available for 180 days.

And finally, global eSIMs cover you in 124 countries. Plans range from 1GB for 7 days up to 20GB for a full year.

5G connectivity is available, though it will depend on the network to which you're connecting. Once you click "Buy Now" on a plan of your choosing, a popup will appear with network information (including 5G support). Support is available around the clock should you run into any problems.

Best value

Saily is a great option for travelers who want to spend less on a data plan for their laptop. While it doesn't have global or regional eSIM plans, it does offer local plans in more than 150 countries. Saily is actually an offshoot of VPN leader Nord Security.

Saily's data plans generally start at 1GB for 7 days, and there are often 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB plans available for 30-day durations. There are, unfortunately, no unlimited data plans available through Saily.

It will ultimately come down to which country you're visiting, but I've spotted prices start as low as $1.99 for 1GB of data for 7 days. Many countries seem to sit at $3.99 for 1GB, but you'll often see prices between $20 and $30 for the extended 30GB plans.

Saily has an app for iOS and Android that it will try to get you to use, but for your laptop, you'll want to take the manual approach. You should still receive an activation code that you can plug into Windows to get your eSIM working. It doesn't look like there's any way to tell if you'll be on a 4G LTE or 5G connection until you're actually using the network.

Unlimited travel data

Flexiroam offers local, regional, and global eSIM data plans for your laptop, and unlike some of the other providers great for traveling, there are unlimited data plans available in some countries and regions. If you'd rather go with a fixed plan, Flexiroam is happy to oblige.

There are local eSIM plans available in 114 different countries, with prices starting as low as $3 for 1GB of data over a 7-day period. Flexiroam generally also offers 2GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB fixed plans. Unlimited plans are also available in many countries, and it looks like you can get up to 30 days of coverage. Prices vary depending on the country you're visiting.

Regional plans are available for Africa (25 countries), Asia (14 countries), Caribbean Islands (24 countries), Europe (39 countries), Latin America (17 countries), North America (3 countries), and Middle East/North Africa (14 countries). Using Europe as an example, there are fixed plans that range from 1GB for 7 days up to 100GB for 180 days. Unlimited data plans start at 5 days and go up to 30 days. It's worth noting that Flexiroam mentions that unlimited data plans are subject to speed caps after you reach 3GB downloaded per day.

Flexiroam's global plans are not available with unlimited data. Instead, they range from 1GB for 7 days up to 70GB for a full year. The speed of your network (4G LTE or 5G) will depend on the country you're visiting.

Unlimited US data

Verizon's laptop data plans are great for anyone who needs a reliable and more permanent 5G connection within the US. There are two tiers of "unlimited" data plans available, each with soft caps once you hit a certain amount of data used.

The cheaper option is called "Unlimited" and it features 5G/4G LTE connectivity that goes unthrottled until you hit 15GB downloaded. Once you hit the data cap, you can expect speeds to only reach a maximum of 600kbps for the rest of the month.

If you foresee going over the 15GB unthrottled allowance, Verizon also offers a "More Unlimited" plan. You get 30GB of download data before it caps to 600kbps for the rest of the month, and you also get access to 5G Ultra Wideband in supporting areas. Just be sure your 5G laptop also supports Ultra Wideband. Note that Verizon says the data can be used by your laptop to create a hotspot for other devices, but the plans won't work with dedicated hotspot devices.

Existing customers with an Unlimited phone plan through Verizon pay $10 per month for the Unlimited laptop plan or $15 per month for the More Unlimited laptop plan. Those prices double if you're coming in as a fresh customer who wants only a laptop plan.

Best range of plans

Ubigi is another top option for frequent international travelers thanks to its broad selection of plans available across more than 200 countries and 7 regions. It even has global plans with up to 20GB of data per month.

For short stays, you can get fixed, buy-once plans that last anywhere from a day up to 30 days. If you're visiting a country for a longer duration, there are also recurring monthly plans with anywhere from 5GB to 20GB per month.

Topping up your plan with more data is super easy should you need more data than expected, and Ubigi says it offers 5G connectivity in 40 countries (otherwise settling back on 4G LTE). If you move from country to country, you can continue using the same eSIM; just use your Ubigi account to select a new data plan for the next country you plan on visiting.

Ubigi's disclaimer mentions that Canadian customers cannot buy a data plan and use it in their own country. As a Canadian, I'll chalk this up to the draconian telecom laws from which we suffer.

Bulk US data plans

T-Mobile is another reliable network for 5G data if you're using your laptop in the US. Like Verizon, it offers "unlimited" data up to a certain soft cap, at which time it is capped at a lower speed. T-Mobile drops down to just 128kbps (compared to Verizon at 600kbps), but it does come with some other perks to make up for it.

First off, there are more plans from which you can choose, including 2GB, 5GB, 10GB, 30GB, and 50GB of data. If you're an infrequent user, 2GB of data at $10 per month might just be enough. If you use a lot of data, the 50GB plan at $50 per month will no doubt be attractive. Verizon is the more affordable option for mid-range deals up to 30GB, but T-Mobile has the bulk data sector covered.

Another perk is the 5GB data allowance (4G LTE) for use in Canada and Mexico. It's not much, but anyone who makes quick trips across the border should be able to benefit without having to buy a separate plan.

Choosing the best data plan for your Windows laptop

Which eSIM data provider you choose to accompany your 5G laptop will ultimately come down to coverage and bandwidth allowance. While Verizon and T-Mobile are solid options for US customers who want everyday data for life on the go, other providers like Airalo, Saily, Flexiroam, and Ubigi are ideal for frequent professional travelers, students studying abroad, and freelancing backpackers.

I chose Airalo as the top pick for travel thanks to its local, regional, and global eSIM plans. It offers coverage in more than 200 individual countries, and you can get up to 20GB of data over 30 days in many cases. Its global eSIM option includes support in 124 countries.

Saily is a solid option if you're looking for short, affordable terms for quick turnaround trips, while Flexiroam is better for anyone who doesn't want to worry about data limits while they travel. It has local and regional eSIM plans with unlimited data, while global plans are fixed.

How do you set up an eSIM on your laptop?

Most laptop eSIM providers have specific instructions on their website concerning how to set up a connection on your laptop. However, Windows Central Editor Rebecca Spear wrote an in-depth guide on how to set up an eSIM on a laptop with step-by-step instructions and plenty of answered questions.

The gist of the process is that the eSIM provider will provide you with an activation code that you can enter into Windows for a relatively quick and easy setup. Just be sure your laptop has Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) abilities for 5G or 4G LTE connectivity.

Is eSIM better than physical SIM?

An eSIM and a physical SIM card essentially accomplish the same goal. The biggest difference is convenience. Providers can email you an eSIM (which is just a digital SIM card) to use with your laptop, eliminating the need for you to visit a store to pick up a physical card.

Like a laptop with a physical SIM slot, a laptop must also specifically note that it supports eSIM for the digital SIM to work. You can certainly still use a physical SIM with a laptop that has a SIM slot.

What you need to know

• At its big Copilot+ and hardware event, Microsoft pulled back the curtain on the new Surface Pro 11, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips. 
• Easily the most powerful Surface Pro to date by some margin, there is unfortunately one thing missing at launch that might stop you from buying. 
• According to the Microsoft Store in both the U.S. and UK, the 5G version of the Surface Pro 11 won't be coming until the Fall. 

If you're not excited by the new Surface Pro 11, revealed at the big Copilot+ event by Microsoft, then I'm not sure what to say. By some margin, this is the most impressive Surface Pro ever made, with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite powering the show. 

And AI. Lots of AI, of course. 

Preorders for the Surface Pro 11 are now live, but there is one glaring omission. The spec sheet lists optional 5G, but there's no 5G version available to order. At least, not yet. 

Scroll down right to the bottom of the sizzle page and the magic, yet disappointing message reveals the news. 

Worse still, technically that could be anywhere from late September through to late December. Though, it's hard to imagine Microsoft wouldn't get it out well in advance of the holiday season. 

Realistically, then, we're hoping it's late September or into early or mid-October. Plans could always change, but for now, this is what we've got to work with. 

Unless no 5G is an absolute dealbreaker, you can have yourself a new Surface Pro 11 much sooner than that. Prices start at $999 for the LCD model with the Snapdragon X Plus, which is very reasonable, though if you want the X Elite and the OLED display, your wallet is going to creak a little more. 

Being able to access the Internet from your laptop, regardless of where you are, is a common necessity for people who travel. While you could technically purchase a physical SIM card for your compatible laptop, I personally find electronic SIM cards (eSIMs) to be far more convenient. Thanks to several reliable eSIM providers, you can purchase an eSIM for a specific country and update your plan on the fly according to your needs. 

This page will go over how to set up an eSIM on your laptop while providing a list of compatible LTE laptops and giving recommendations for the best eSIM providers. 

How to set up an eSIM on your laptop

Earlier this year, I traveled to Taiwan for a work trip, and I used Airalo as my laptop's eSIM provider while I was in that beautiful country. I had a great experience with Airalo, so I'll be explaining how to set up a laptop eSIM using this company. 

1. Go to eSIM provider Airalo on your laptop. Login or Signup if you haven't been here before. 

2. Select the country in which you will need the eSIM. You can type in the name of the country in the search bar to see if an eSIM is offered for it. For instance, when I traveled to Taipei, I chose a Taiwan eSIM. 

3. Choose a plan that will meet your needs. Prices and plan options will vary from country to country. You can always add more to your plan later if you discover you need more data during your trip. 

4. Review your plan details and then click Buy.

5. If you have a coupon, make sure to click on the Apply Code box and enter any coupons you may have now. 

6. Double check that your laptop is eSIM compatible and then check the box near the bottom of the screen.

7. A box will come up detailing device compatibility. Select Read and Accept once you've read through everything. 

8. Finally, click on Complete Order and then finish the purchase process. You can purchase an Airalo eSIM using Google Pay, PayPal, Alipay, or your Credit/Debit card.

9. Once the purchase is complete, use your laptop to open the Airalo Order Summary email that was sent to you. Then click the Install eSIM button. 

10. This will take you to Airalo. On the following page, click on Android device or iOS device. It doesn't matter which because we are installing this on your laptop. (If this is your first time, several tutorial notices will pop up so dismiss those). 

11. You'll see that you're on the QR Code tab of the screen. I've had issues using QR codes when setting up eSIMs, so I suggest tapping on the Manual tab at the top instead. 

12. Under Step 2/3 - Install eSIM, you'll see the activation code. Click on the copy icon to copy the code. 

13. On your Windows laptop go to Start → Settings → Network & Internet → Cellular. Make sure Cellular data is toggled on. The line that reads Use this Sim for cellular data should be set to eSIM. 

14. Scroll down and click on eSIM profiles. 

15. At the top, click on Add profile. 

16. Next, select Let me enter an activation code I have from my mobile operator and click Next. 

17. A window will open with your camera on for scanning a QR code, but I've never had success with Airalo QR codes. Instead, click on the Activation code line under the camera image and paste the activation code we copied earlier from Airalo in Step 12. 

18. After a little bit, a small popup will appear asking if you want to download the Airalo profile. Select Yes. Now, leave the laptop alone and allow it to install the eSIM. If something happens to the laptop during the installation process it can cause eSIM complications. 

As long as Windows 10 or Windows 11 are set to your Airalo eSIM for cellular data, you should be good to use the eSIM. It won't start using data until your laptop detects the appropriate network for the country you've purchased the virtual card for. 

Things to know about eSIMs

• You don't necessarily need 5G in a laptop, you might be fine with just LTE mobile connectivity. 
• I highly suggest purchasing your eSIM before heading out on your out-of-country trip. That way, you'll have reliable Internet for this important purchase. 
• Airalo eSIMs don't activate until they detect that they are in the correct country for the eSIM. 
• If necessary, you can manually turn the eSIM on and off to conserve data. 
• You can also check to see how much data your eSIM plan has left and can purchase additional data as you go. 
• Do not remove your eSIM plan unless you are completely done with it. Otherwise, you'll have to go through the whole installation process all over again for another eSIM. 

Best eSIM compatible laptops

Before purchasing an eSIM, you need to make sure that your laptop is compatible with eSIMs. If you want good suggestions, then you can check out our list of the best 5G Windows laptops with LTE support. Each of the devices on that list should work with eSIMs. 

I personally traveled with an HP Elite Dragonfly Max and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good eSIM laptop for travel. It easily worked with eSIM provider Airalo, and I didn't have any connectivity issues while I was in Taiwan. I also love that this laptop is small but still feels sturdy enough to be in transit. For further assistance, look below for a list of the best 5G and LTE laptop reviews (listed in alphabetical order) that we've done here at Windows Central.

• Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1 review
• HP Elite Dragonfly review
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) review
• Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with 5G review
• Microsoft Surface Pro X review
• Microsoft Surface Pro 8 review

Best eSim providers

Each eSIM company is a little different when it comes to pricing, data plan options, and the number of countries it provides eSIMs for. Here are four eSIM providers that we love along with a quick description of what sets them apart from others.

• Airalo: Offers various eSIM data plans for over 200 countries.
• Saily: Best value data plans for over 150 countries.
• AirHub: These eSIM plans include data and SMS for over 80 countries.
• Nomad: Often has lower 7-day price plans than some competitors for over 170 countries.
• Flexiroam: Includes data-only plans that don't include SMS or phone coverage. Plans offered for over 200 countries.

eSIM FAQ

There is a lot to learn about eSIMs. If you have any further questions, this eSIM FAQ should hopefully provide the answers you need. 

Quick answer: Having 5G or LTE mobile connectivity in a laptop is beneficial for busy professionals, frequent travelers, college students, and practically anyone who can't or doesn't want to rely on a Wi-Fi signal or wired Internet access. However, just like with a phone, you'll have to pay for a wireless data plan, and your laptop will need certain hardware to accommodate the extra wireless connection.

What is 5G?

Before stepping into some of the benefits that 5G connectivity in a laptop can afford, it's worth giving a quick rundown of some of the terms in this article.

5G is currently the fastest mobile broadband standard available to regular consumers. It operates on a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) that's designed for long-distance connectivity. 5G is NOT the same as 5GHz, the latter being a radio standard that operates alongside 2.4GHz in modern Wi-Fi routers.

A WWAN differs from a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), which is generally used for Wi-Fi or inter-device connectivity. A Local Area Network (LAN) is the same idea, except it uses a wired connection between devices.

5G is the fifth generation, whereas 4G is the fourth generation, and so on back through the Gs. Remember when 3G seemed fast? It's not anymore, at least compared to the more modern standards.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a term tied in with 4G. LTE was sort of a bridge between 3G and 4G, and when 4G finally came around, the terms were bunched together and continue to commonly be used interchangeably.

5G devices — like certain laptops — operate best on a 5G network. However, when 5G isn't available, they can revert to slower networks (like 4G LTE) to maintain a connection. To connect to a mobile network, a laptop requires a SIM card (just like a phone). Physical Nano-SIM slots are common, while some devices rely on electronic SIM (eSIM) to achieve the same goal.

Standout benefits of 5G include faster data transfer speeds and lower latency compared to its predecessors.

Benefits of 5G in a laptop

Whether or not you need 5G connectivity in your next Windows laptop really depends on how you operate and what sort of device you need. Not everyone needs to be connected to the Internet at all times, and for many users, a reliable Wi-Fi or LAN connection at home is all that's required. However, there are a few big benefits to having 5G capabilities in a laptop.

An internet connection (almost) anywhere you go

The most obvious benefit of having 5G in a laptop is a connection to the Internet just about anywhere you go. If your phone has a signal, so too will your laptop.

Of course, if you're sailing international waters or are truly in the middle of nowhere, you'll likely find that a 5G tower isn't available, but it's still going to offer better coverage than Wi-Fi or a wired LAN connection.

5G connectivity especially makes sense for frequent travelers who spend a lot of time away from home. This naturally blends itself into the life of busy professionals who can't wait around for the next Wi-Fi hotspot to continue working. 

Sure, you can use your phone for a Wi-Fi hotspot, but it's not nearly as convenient as just having the connection on your laptop. You won't have to worry so much about battery drain on your phone, and you'll have a connection immediately every time you open your laptop's lid.

Reliable wireless performance

We're continuously moving into a mobile work lifestyle, and plenty of stops along the way feature free Wi-Fi. Checking into a hotel or sitting down at a cafe to get some work done is a common occurrence, but you can't always rely on the provided Wi-Fi to offer the wireless performance you need.

For example, I enjoy taking my laptop to a local bakery/cafe to get some work done away from my home office. I appreciate the offer of free Wi-Fi, which is usually enough to handle regular web browsing and communication. However, that can change during peak hours when lots of customers are connected to the same Wi-Fi router.

Hotels and airports are the same, where there are often hundreds of people vying for some bandwidth. Having a laptop with its own 5G connection, designed from the start to handle a high density of users, means you don't have to rely on public Wi-Fi, separating you from the other users grabbing data from the same Wi-Fi network.

Improved security and privacy

Connecting to public Wi-Fi found in coffee shops, hotels, airports, and beyond also brings up security and privacy concerns. I always recommend using a VPN when connected to public Wi-Fi, but you can completely bypass many of the risks involved with your own 5G connection (I still recommend using a VPN everywhere for maximum privacy).

Your private Wi-Fi network in your home should be secure, but the same can't always be said for public Wi-Fi. Because anyone can join, bad actors may also want to snoop around. A 5G connection offers strong authentication and encryption, removing a lot of the security risks involved with public Wi-Fi.

5G and Windows on Arm

Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X Elite processor (CPU) has us very excited for the future of Windows on Arm. Not only is the CPU equipped to deliver outstanding performance and efficiency for everyday computing and even gaming, but it also comes with a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with 45 TOPS of performance for AI acceleration.

5G isn't exclusive to laptops running Windows on Arm — some Intel laptops also offer 5G connectivity — but it is more common. This is partly due to Qualcomm's design choices, where its System on Chip (SoC) includes everything from CPU to wireless modem. 

Qualcomm's original policy was to offer WWAN connectivity in all laptops, but that changed as laptop makers wanted to offer more affordable options. It costs more to build a 5G laptop due to the different antennas and hardware layouts.

The Snapdragon X Elite CPU has 5G capability by default, but it will still likely be up to the manufacturer whether or not they want to include the wireless standard. We'll know more when the first PCs with the Snapdragon X platform are officially revealed.

Finding the right 5G laptop for you

Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden revealed in an exclusive that Microsoft is unveiling a Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite CPU in May 2024, complementing the Intel Core Ultra-powered Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business that are already available.

Whether or not these new laptops feature 5G connectivity remains to be seen, but we do know that the Business version of the Pro 10 with Intel Core Ultra will get mobile connectivity "later in 2024" according to Microsoft. If you need a Surface Pro now, the Surface Pro 9 with the SQ3 Arm-base chip is still available and supports 5G.

Looking at standouts from other manufacturers, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) we reviewed will notably start offering 5G connectivity soon, and Gen 11 models are still available now with optional 5G.

HP's Dragonfly G4 is configurable with 5G, as is Dell's Latitude 7340. It's more common for business laptops to support 5G, which makes sense since these devices are usually aimed at customers willing to pay more for advanced features.

• HP has announced a new premium 2-in-1 for business
• The new Dragonfly Folio G3 is now available starting at $2,300
• It ships with an Intel U-series 12th Gen CPU, 8MP webcam, and optional 5G
• Windows Central has an exclusive first look at the prototype

In July 2021, I reviewed the HP Elite Folio powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2. Putting aside the somewhat underpowered (but power-efficient) ARM processor, I said that the “future of ultra-light convertible PCs should look like this.”

HP seems to agree as it's back with not a replacement per se but a new Folio aimed at its super-premium business users. It’s called the HP Dragonfly Folio G3 and marks the third addition to this top tier of laptops (the other is a Chromebook and a Windows clamshell laptop).

I’ve spent the last week with the prototype, and frankly, I’m blown away by it. With an 8MP front-facing AI camera, Intel 12th Gen U-series processor, OLED display, and a brilliant new magnetic pen that charges wireless, it’s the most pragmatic business PC I have used.

Here’s what you need to know about it and when you get one (assuming you don’t mind the sticker shock).

HP Dragonfly Folio G3: Specs and features

The design of the Dragonfly Folio G3 is just that: A folio-inspired laptop. It has a faux leather (polyurethane) cover on the top, and the bottom is made from recycled magnesium. The computer is taller at the back and nicely slopes down to the front making it wonderful to hold when carrying.

The beauty of the Dragonfly Folio G3’s design is the ability to use it in three modes:

1. Standard laptop

2. Media mode with the display brought forward while still leaving access to the touchpad

3. Creative mode where the display lays slightly angled for drawing or notetaking

It’s the best design for a 2-in-1 as you never have to lift the device off your lap. If you’re watching a movie, pull the screen forward for a more immersive experience, but unlike a Surface, Pro flipped around, you can still use the touchpad. The drawing mode (level 3) is also the best inking angle you can get as it resembles a drafting table.

Microsoft also sees the genius in this design as the much more powerful (and heavier) Surface Laptop Studio uses the same configuration.

Whereas the Elite Folio was a bit weak on power, the Dragonfly Folio G3 is not, thanks to options for Intel 12th Gen U-series processors. My prototype was configured with the Core i5-1245U, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 500GB of PCIe 3.0 SSD.

Customers, however, can spec up to 32GB of RAM, a Core i7, and 2TB of storage.

Being a prototype, HP asked me not to run benchmarks and instead wait for the retail unit due later in September.

In my daily use, I can comfortably say that the i5-1245U felt very performant and left me with no complaints. It was fast, responsive, and better than most 11th Gen Ultrabooks I have reviewed. Even battery life, so far, is better than expected. It won’t match ARM, but it also seems doable for “all-day” usage.

Ports are limited to just two Type-C on the left side (both Thunderbolt 4) and a headphone jack. There’s also an external Nano SIM slot should you configure the laptop with 4G LTE/5G.

The 3:2 3000 x 2000 IPS touch screen is also fantastic. HP claims 100% DCI-P3 and up to 7,400 nits of brightness, which is good enough for sunlit outdoor use. I can’t name another Windows PC laptop with a 7,400-nit screen. HP also offers lower resolution 1920x1280 and anti-glare for those who want even more battery life.

Because of the Intel design, HP had to add three vents to the Dragonfly Folio G3: Two on each side and one on the bottom. I didn’t feel much heat blasting out during my usage, and the laptop never became hot, which tells me HP did some outstanding thermal work here.

That design shift seems to have put two speakers behind the keyboard (while two more are on the front bottom edge). The quad Bang & Olufsen speakers with amps are excellent, with a robust richness that you can nicely feel resonating in the laptop’s body. Like Surface Laptop Studio, the audio seems to shift in tone when the Folio changes configuration.

But because of the side vents and new speaker positions, HP couldn’t put the siloed flat pen above the keyboard, which is a bummer. But even here, HP improved upon its design. The Dragonfly Folio G3 is now a tiny notch on the right side, where the new HP rounded pen magnetically attaches.

The new rounded pen is more natural to hold than the previous flat version. The magnets are also powerful, and it’ll be hard to knock the pen off in a bag.

Even more incredible is the fact that the pen wirelessly charges when attached. Indeed, a small overlay appears on display to tell you the pen’s battery life. It’s all thought out so well. This design choice is, again, the best of everything: No batteries, separate pen charging, no compromised flat pen design, and the pen sticks like glue to the laptop. Perfect.

The new touchpad, while mechanical, is one of the best HP has done (the other is in the new Elite Dragonfly G3). It’s huge (120x80mm) and smooth, and the soft click, when depressed, is perfect.

Finally, the Dragonfly Folio G3 is the first business laptop to ship with a massive 8MP front-facing full HD webcam. HP now uses 5MP in many of its high-end laptops, which is already better than most PC makers, but 8MP is notable. Combined with AI for auto-tracking, blurring background, and general image enhancements, it is easily the best mobile conferencing laptop to date. 

There's also human presence detection so that the display can auto-dim when not looking at it or alert you to people looking over your shoulder. 

HP Dragonfly Folio G3 vs. HP Elite Folio

I’ve already noted a few differences between the new HP Dragonfly Folio G3 and the Elite Folio, but here are a few more:

Side by side, they are very similar, with the Intel version being all-around a bit larger and thicker (17.9mm vs. 15.95mm) and a bit heavier at 3.09lbs (1.4kg) instead of 2.85lbs (1.29kg). However, in real life, the difference in size is almost negligible.

Due to that Intel processor, a bottom intake needed to be added, resulting in HP not using the faux leather on the bottom and instead opting for a plain magnesium design. This choice probably also helped reduce the difference in thickness since the faux leather would be on top of that bottom chassis.

Spece-wise, the Dragonfly Folio G3 has better everything. An option for a higher resolution display, OLED, faster RAM, larger storage choices, Thunderbolt 4, much higher resolution camera, larger touchpad, and, of course, much better performance due to Intel x86 instead of ARM.

HP Dragonfly Folio G3: Initial thoughts

So far, the Dragonfly Folio G3 is the most exciting laptop I’ve handled this year. Actually, something else is coming that is very interesting, but in terms of being pragmatic, functional, and likely something you would buy, I think HP hit it out of the park.

HP notes that the Dragonfly Folio G3 is aimed at “hands-on, visually collaborative thinkers who like to share ideas.” I think that’s accurate. This device is perfect for people who need to ink either for notetaking or sketching up ideas while also requiring the flexibility of a regular laptop (and one even connected to 5G).

While I’m a diehard Windows on ARM user, I was delighted with this Intel-based prototype, more so than I had thought. You see, HP once took the ARM-based Envy x2 and made an Intel version, but in doing so, it ruined the whole design. I was worried they’d do the same here, but instead, dare I say, it’s all superior. It’s awesome.

Of course, switching to Intel and upping all the hardware comes at a cost. Whereas the Elite Folio started at $1,699 and maxed out at $2,327, the new Dragonfly Folio G3 begins at an eye-watering $2,379 and goes up from there.

But Dragonfly is HP’s premier premium hardware platform, above its “Elite” series, so that’s what happens.

Look for our full review of the new Dragonfly Folio G3 in the coming months, but I’m confident it’s going to make our list of best business laptops.

The Dragonfly Folio G3 is also now available to order, with shipments starting in September.

In May 2021, I reviewed the Galaxy Book Pro 360. A 15-inch laptop with S Pen and a convertible design brought a slick, fresh look to Windows laptops while also adding a lot of value via its plethora of Galaxy apps.

Besides the 15-inch model, Samsung also had a 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 design, with a promised 4G LTE with a 5G variant due later. Well, that device is now available as the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G with either an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. I've been using the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G 13.3-inch for the last few months over the holidays, and I'm pretty smitten with what Samsung has pulled off here for a few reasons. I also have a few recommendations on how Samsung could make it even better.

But the real killer feature of this laptop is one you can't see. It's the ability to turn this laptop into a fanless ARM-like PC with a flick of the key. Let me explain …

Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: Price and availability

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G 13.3-inch is available directly from Best Buy and Samsung. Pricing starts at $1,400 for the Core i5 version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. Pricing goes up to $1,600 for the Core i7 model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, although that version is more difficult to find.

Pricing has been mostly consistent. However, both Samsung and Best Buy have dropped the Core i5 version to just below $1,000 for short sales, which is a very compelling price if available.

Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: What you'll like

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G 13.3-inch is similar to the 15.6-inch version except for no number pad and a much smaller overall design. I have used both extensively, but I prefer the 13-inch model due to its size and a better balance of features.

The Mystic Silver colorway with all black keys is also preferable to the 15-inch version's blue, which looked great but was a fingerprint magnet. The build quality is exceptional, with no creaks or flexes with the keyboard deck. That keyboard has very little travel at just 1mm, but the size of the keys and the actuation make it a joy to type on without the need for much effort. There is three-stage backlighting for those keys, which is sharp and excellent. Changing the brightness brings up an on-screen display to take the guesswork out of knowing that level.

Ports are limited to just three Type-C, with two on the left and one on the right. Only one port (on the left) supports Thunderbolt 4, while the other two are standard USB C. A 3.5mm headphone jack is on the right side, while the microSD reader is on the left.

But the real selling point of Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is, obviously, the combo 4G LTE and 5G modem (carrier unlocked), which, when combined with the super thin and light design, makes this laptop a fantastic choice for those who need productivity on the go. The Intel 5G Solution 5000 M.2 module (developed with MediaTek) diverges from the usual Snapdragon 5G chipsets, but it gets the job done. Performance with 4G LTE and Sub 6GHz 5G (no mmWave) was fast and reliable with little effect on battery life compared to Wi-Fi.

Oddly, while this Intel modem technically can support e-SIM, Samsung only leverages a physical nano-SIM (on the right side) for that 4G/5G connection.

The 13.3-inch Super AMOLED display is on the low side for resolution at "just" Full HD (1920x1080) and peaks at just 283 nits of brightness (well below the typical 400 these days). But don't let that fool you. Super AMOLED blows away any standard LCD with similar specs. Screen brightness (along with a decent anti-reflective coating) is good enough for overcast days or in the back of a taxicab.

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G's color gamut is exceptional, with coverage for 100% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, and 100% DCI-P3 making it one of the most color-accurate laptop displays we have tested.

Besides excellent color representation, this display also supports touch and inking via the Samsung S Pen. I find the S Pen often superior and more fun to use than Microsoft's Surface Pen, which applies here. Mixing Samsung's excellent assortment of Galaxy apps and this is an outstanding 2-in-1 laptop for taking notes, primarily because of its unparalleled thin-and-light design.

Speaking of those Galaxy apps, here is the complete list, all of which are user-removable:

• Air Command
• Clip Studio
• Connect
• Galaxy Book Experience
• Galaxy Book Smart Switch
• Link Sharing
• Live Message
• Live Wallpaper
• Online Support (S Service)
• PENUP
• Quick Search
• Quick Share
• Samsung Bluetooth Sync
• Samsung Care+
• Samsung DeX
• Samsung Flow
• Samsung Gallery
• Samsung Notes
• Samsung PC Cleaner
• Samsung Recovery
• Samsung Security
• Samsung Settings
• Samsung Studio Plus
• Samsung TV Plus
• Samsung Update
• Samsung Voice Note
• Samsung Screen Recorder
• SmartThings

I think Samsung's Galaxy apps, especially if you have a matching Galaxy phone, are among the best PC and smartphone ecosystems around (besides Apple).

The 720P webcam is merely OK. This laptop came out before Intel 12th Gen was announced, so OEMs didn't scramble to put in a Full HD camera. While there is no facial recognition to log you into Windows 11 Home automatically, a very reliable fingerprint reader is built into the power button on the keyboard deck.

Audio is handled by the bottom-firing AKG Speakers featuring Dolby Atmos. While not my favorite location for speakers, they perform pretty well with excellent clarity and fidelity despite the lack of bass and resonance.

But besides the 5G modem, one of my favorite features is one you don't see or hear. Samsung provides its own custom performance profiles for this laptop including Silent, Balanced, and Performance. Each one of those alters the fan speed to better match your environment. Fan profiles are not new, per se, but Samsung has a fourth one here I've never seen before: Fanless. Whereas Silent only uses the fan minimally, Fanless completely disables it.

As you would expect, turning the fan off will throttle the CPU to prevent overheating, which is reflected in benchmarks. But the result is still impressive. Geekbench performance for single-core is a good 500 points higher than Surface Pro X (SQ2) running a fanless ARM processor, although the Galaxy Book Pro 5G's multi-core falls score is about 1,000 points behind it. On PCMark 10, the Pro X takes the lead at a 5,088 score, while the Galaxy Book Pro only gets 3,555.

But the cool thing here is this is all user-choice. The option to take an x86 laptop with a simple keystroke basically makes it a fanless ARM PC to maximize battery life and keep things quiet is rather remarkable.

Performance mode, however, is not significantly better than just using Optimized, which is what most people should opt for most of the time.

Battery life is also very good with this laptop, depending on how you run it. It is Intel Evo certified, so when combined with a Full HD display pushing 10 hours on fanless mode with the display at 75% brightness (~150 nits) is easy. Indeed, running fanless at those settings, the laptop hit 11 hours and 29 minutes, which is quite good considering this laptop's size. When run in Optimized mode, battery dropped around an hour to 10 hours and 38 minutes.

My real-world battery results from the Windows Battery Report with dispaly auto-brightness enabled averaged 8 hours and 35 minutes.

Recharging is fast and straightforward with the included 65-watt Fast Charger. The only way that charger could be better is if the prongs folded for travel.

Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: What you won't like

The biggest issue with the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is its dated 16:9 display. It's too narrow, and while the top and side bezels are skinny, there is that old familiar chonky chin at the bottom. The result is you tend to do much more scrolling on web pages and documents since you see less information vertically compared to modern laptops. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G would be so much better with a 16:10 or 3:2 display.

While not a dealbreaker, there is no eSIM support, which is odd. A non-physical SIM is ideal when traveling as you can easily buy data-only 4G plans via websites these days instead of having to go and buy an actual physical SIM. Many 4G and 5G Windows laptops offer both the physical and eSIM solutions, so it's strange that it's missing here.

Samsung did announce new 12th Gen versions of this laptop, but minus the LTE and 5G. Intel's latest processors should be a winner, but we haven't reviewed them yet for laptops like this, leaving it a bit of a mystery. Samsung does have a new 5G laptop coming out, but oddly it's the 15.6-inch version and not this model. That means if you buy this laptop now, there's no immediate replacement on the horizon.

Finally, while I boasted about the fanless mode, the fans on this laptop are pretty audible when they kick in, which will be often. This is partly due to the laptop's thinness, but Samsung could also do a bit more to keep things quiet. Luckily, those fans keep the laptop cool, as I can't say this laptop ever gets hot.

Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: Competition

Competition in this space is limited since this laptop excels in two areas — extreme thinness and 5G. But there are a few alternatives, although none quite hits this price point. Most 5G laptops are still aimed at enterprise, which bumps the price up substantially due to more rigid hardware and security requirements, e.g., Intel vPro, which the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G does not support.

HP has the excellent Elite Dragonfly G2 and G2 Max (and G3 is due in the first half of 2022). The G2 variant is also Full HD but adds HDMI and a full Type-A port. There are also options for 5G and support for a pen. Oddly, the forthcoming Elite Dragonfly G3 model drops the "360," making it no longer a pen-supported device. Pricing is also higher, starting at around $2,000.

Lenovo has the excellent ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga. It's a convertible with a 3:2 display and support inking. It has a titanium chassis and unique haptic trackpad, but the battery life is not as good as Samsung, and it hasn't been refreshed since its release. You can pick one up for $1,469 (minus 5G).

A more exciting choice is Lenovo's forthcoming ThinkPad X13s running Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 ARM processor. It should get more battery life and likely even better performance. Pricing also starts at $1,100 with support for 5G (mmWave and Sub 6). However, it's not a convertible PC, and it has no touchscreen — that device ships in May 2022.

If you like everything about this laptop but don't need or want 4G LTE/5G, you can get just the regular Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 (minus 5G) for $1,200 (on sale for $810).

Finally, Microsoft's Surface Pro X (SQ2) is an excellent convertible PC with support for the new Surface Slim Pen 2. Overall system performance is as good as the 11th Gen Core i5 Samsung Galaxy Book Pro, although that is only when running native ARM apps. But, unlike the Galaxy Book Pro, Surface Pro X does not support 5G (just LTE), and it is expected to be refreshed in the fall of 2022.

For more ideas, you can check our best 5G laptops guide.

Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You want a very thin and light 13-inch laptop
• You need 4G LTE/5G for an always-connected experience
• You use a Samsung Galaxy smartphone
• You want a premium laptop

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• You want to play games
• You don't need 5G
• You need more power

I'll keep this short and sweet: I really like the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G, even if the name is way too long. While I think the 15-inch version is unique (there aren't many convertible 15-inch laptops that are that light), I prefer the 13.3-inch model better. I had a hard time putting it down (and as Samsung will tell you, sending it back to them!).

This laptop has a lot going for it. The build quality is outstanding, and the keyboard and trackpad are excellent. The Super AMOLED display is striking, even at Full HD. I enjoy running it in the fanless mode for light tasks (email, web browsing, Slack, messaging, etc.), and the 4G LTE/5G combo makes this an excellent laptop for your backpack. Even being this thin and light, you can still open the lid with one hand.

For those reasons, if you want a thin-and-light convertible laptop for taking notes in class or the office, it's easy to recommend this laptop due to the battery life being better than expected.

The price, while not "cheap" at $1,400, makes the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G easily one of the most affordable 5G laptops on the market. Many of the others are enterprise PCs that hover around the $2K mark, and that's a big deal. If you can scoop one up on sale for $1,000, it's a steal.

Of course, my main issue is that Samsung is still fighting with one hand behind its back. The company needs to put in at least a 16:10 display, or even 3:2 with Super AMOLED. That'd result in more viewable content and extends the keyboard deck, making typing more comfortable. Tidy up the fans a bit and slap Intel 12th Gen into this design, and you have a premium yet affordable, always-connected PC without the limits of Windows on ARM.

Even if this laptop is not for you, I think Samsung is one to watch in this space. It's going all-in on PCs, and it has the chops to take on the big names like HP, Dell, and Lenovo. It just needs to stop using designs from 2019 and get with 2022.

5G connectivity is something I wish all laptops offered; alas, having data everywhere you go is limited to a select few PCs.

These laptops with 5G operate on the same sort of data plans as your phone, meaning you can enjoy seamless wireless internet practically anywhere you travel without needing to look for a Wi-Fi hotspot or an Ethernet connection.

My top recommendation is the highest-rated 5G laptop we've tested so far at Windows Central, Microsoft's Surface Pro 11. It's a 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Systems-on-Chip (SoC), capable of delivering versatility, long battery life, and high-end features.

TL;DR: Summarizing our findings

• Laptops with 5G connectivity still aren't very common, but the PCs that do have the extra feature are generally some of the best on the market.
• Best overall — Surface Pro 11: The ultimate 2-in-1 PC for any Windows user also happens to come with optional 5G connectivity.
• Best business — ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13): Extra durable, extra secure, and available with optional 5G connectivity.
• Best customization — EliteBook 8 Flip 13: Extensive customization options (including 5G) allow you to really dial in your perfect 13.3-inch business laptop.
• Best rugged — Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3: The most rugged and modular laptop we've ever tested comes with 4G LTE.
• Premium pick — ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10): It's a business laptop, but the premium feature set and convertible versatility here appeal to a much wider audience.

Best overall 5G laptop

My recommended Surface Pro 11 5G configuration:

The Surface Pro 11 is a Copilot+ PC available with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus Systems-on-Chip (SoC). Both performance versions have optional 5G connectivity to complement the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless, and both can deliver excellent performance and battery life.

Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino reviewed the Surface Pro 11 shortly after its release. He essentially came to the conclusion that it's as impactful an update as the Surface Pro 4 was years ago, remarking:

"The Surface Pro 11th edition is by far the best version yet — and easily one of the best Windows laptops you can buy — thanks to the new Qualcomm processor, excellent 120Hz OLED display, and the new Flex Keyboard. With solid battery life and excellent performance, Microsoft achieves a nearly perfect score from us."

The Pro 11 is usually sold as a tablet alone. It has a built-in stand on the back that helps prop up the display; connect a keyboard — like the newest Flex Keyboard with wireless connectivity and a haptic touchpad — and you've created a notebook PC. The 13-inch touch display at a 2880x1920 resolution (in OLED or LCD versions) has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio, perfect for tablet and notebook form factors.

A 12MP front-facing camera is great for video meetings (there's another 10MP world-facing camera on the back), dual speakers have Dolby Atmos tuning, and it's altogether built to a high standard.

Microsoft has now also launched a Surface Pro for Business 12th Edition with Intel's "Panther Lake" chips and 5G connectivity. It costs significantly more than the Pro 11 model, but it might be the right choice for some users.

👀 Read our full Surface Pro 11 review

Best business laptop with 5G

My recommended ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) configuration:

The 13th-gen X1 Carbon brings Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs, a thinner and lighter chassis, a haptic touchpad, and the same outstanding typing experience that's expected from ThinkPad.

In their ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) review, former Windows Central reviewer Zachary Boddy remarked that "Gen 13 somehow pushes the bar even higher by dropping weight and thickness, all while improving performance, endurance, and AI capabilities."

However, it does come with an extreme price (at least when it's not part of one of Lenovo's frequent discounts), which amplifies the middling battery life.

Nevertheless, this is an outstanding laptop for professionals with deep pockets. Lenovo offers up to a 14-inch 2.8K display with OLED panel, Dolby Vision, DisplayHDR True Black 500, and 120Hz refresh rate, with a bunch of other options at a lower price.

Connectivity is either Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.3, and the WWAN is handled by 5G (Sub-6) or 4G LTE (CAT16), depending on your preferences.

👀 Read our full ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) review

Best customizable laptop with 5G

My recommended HP EliteBook 8 Flip (G1i) configuration:

HP's EliteBook 8 Flip (G1i) has what we'd call a "nostalgic" feel due to its 13.3-inch screen size, but trust that it's loaded with the latest performance hardware and business features.

On that note, this versatile convertible laptop has an extensive list of customization options available at HP's website. There are 20 different combinations of Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU, RAM, and graphics, and that's before you get into any of the 10 display and camera combinations. As promised, the EliteBook 8 Flip can be configured with 5G WWAN connectivity for internet everywhere.

The 13.3-inch display is only available with a 1920x1200 resolution, but it's touch-enabled, it has an optional Sure View privacy filter, and it supports inking. The average screen helps boost battery life, and we found the 62Wh battery to run for 10+ hours when looping Office workloads.

The keyboard is outstanding, the touchpad is accurate, the camera has Windows Hello facial recognition, and there's up to Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4.

In their EliteBook 8 Flip review, former Windows Central reviewer Zachary Boddy remarks:

"For those that need everything and the kitchen sink in a laptop much smaller than a kitchen sink, the EliteBook 8 Flip probably has all the options you're looking for and more. It's not the most astounding laptop on every front and all those options add cost quickly, but there's still nothing else quite like this."

👀 Read our full HP EliteBook 8 Flip (G1i) review

Best rugged laptop with 5G

My recommended Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK3 configuration:

Fieldworkers and industry professionals often need a laptop that can survive conditions well beyond what you'd find in a usual office. That's where the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 excels.

In his Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 review, Windows Central's Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino said:

"If someone like me, who is particular about laptops, finds it appealing, emergency medical technicians, police officers, or military personnel would likely appreciate its speed, dependability, and all the contemporary features of a 2023 prosumer laptop."

It's a chunky 14-inch device with three modular bays for easy upgrades, built for semi-rugged durability with MIL-STD-810H and IP53 certifications. You can work with two batteries, together offering more than 24 hours of runtime, and performance is solid from Intel's 13th Gen Core P-series chips.

The laptop has 92dB speakers for audio you can hear anywhere, the 1080p camera has an IR sensor and a privacy shutter, and there's a decent selection of ports.

The Toughbook 55's mobile connectivity comes in the form of proprietary xPAKs, of which there are options for 4G, 5G Sub6, and C-band with speeds up to 4.1 Gbps. For the full config options, you'll want to get a quote directly from Panasonic.

👀 Read our full Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 review

Best premium laptop with 5G

My recommended ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) configuration:

The ThinkPad design has been refined over many years, and Lenovo has arrived at a sleek all-metal chassis with MIL-STD 810H durability certification.

The convertible design allows you to use it like a tablet or as a notebook, and the active pen is perfect for taking notes or sketching designs.

One area where the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 fell behind in previous years was performance, but that's been remedied. As Zachary Boddy mentions in their ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) review:

"[It] performs excellently for everyday work, and is Intel Evo certified for that added guarantee of smooth use. This laptop feels every bit like the premium machine it's supposed to be."

As for battery life, our testing shows that you can expect 7-8 hours of real-world usage. The keyboard is one of the best on the market, and while the touchpad is smaller due to the inclusion of the TrackPoint system, it is available with optional haptic feedback rather than traditional moving parts.

The FHD webcam includes an IR sensor for Windows Hello, and it also supports Human Presence Detection for hands-free locking and unlocking.

Finally, wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and optional 5G. It looks like Lenovo charges $200 for a Quectel 5G modem. As is usually the case with ThinkPads, I recommend waiting for one of Lenovo's frequent and deep sales.

👀 Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) Aura Edition review

How we test laptops at Windows Central

Every laptop reviewed at Windows Central goes through a similar testing process.

We like to "adopt" the laptop to get an idea of how well it works in real-world situations. After all, there's no better way to discover any quirks than by using it just like any regular buyer.

Camera and speaker quality, port selection and layout, keyboard and touchpad, and overall design durability are tested and taken into account as we use the laptop.

We test the laptop display's color reproduction and brightness with a colorimeter, we test fan noise and speaker volume with a decibel meter, and we check thermal management with a FLIR camera.

Once we get into the performance hardware, it's all about synthetic benchmarks and real-world impressions. We use a mix of Geekbench, CrossMark, Cinebench, CrystalDiskMark, PCMark, 3DMark, and more to test laptops.

For battery life, it's a mix of benchmarking tools, Windows battery reports, and real-world runtimes to provide an average you should expect on any given day.

How to choose the best 5G laptop for you

A laptop with 5G or 4G LTE connectivity is particularly beneficial for frequent travelers, busy professionals, college students, and anyone else who needs to stay connected to the internet at all times.

Not having to rely on public Wi-Fi will boost privacy and security, and you'll have a connection practically anywhere that there is cell service.

Yes, mobile connectivity on the Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) requires a quality data plan made for a laptop, and your laptop needs special hardware inside to access the network. This includes a Nano SIM slot or eSIM functionality, antenna, and modem.

5G and 4G LTE are both WWAN standards, with 5G being the newer generation. It's backward compatible with older networks, meaning that your 5G modem will work with 4G LTE networks (at lower speeds).

Some of the laptops in this collection are still using 4G LTE; if you'd like the best bandwidth possible, you'll want to stick with 5G.

With all this in mind, my top pick is Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 with 5G. It's a versatile 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC that starts at a more reasonable price than other options in this list, mostly due to it not being a business-focused PC.

If you're a regular user who wants 5G without enterprise extras, this should be your first choice. Just be sure that Windows on Snapdragon is right for you.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) and HP EliteBook 8 Flip are both high-quality business laptops with 5G or 4G LTE connectivity, while the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 takes durability and ruggedness to the next level for certain industries.

And my latest addition, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10), is a gorgeous business laptop with convertible versatility, excellent security, and high-end features throughout that will appeal to professionals.

5G laptops FAQ

New to the idea of adding a 5G connection to your laptop? These answers should help.

What you need to know

• The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is a 2.35lbs (1.06kg) 5G clamshell laptop that features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor.
• The "ultra-slim, ultra-light fan-less design" delivers up to 28 hours of battery life.
• It's the first ThinkPad with ARM that Lenovo has worked with Microsoft on for nearly four years.
• The ThinkPad X13s will be available starting May 2022, starting from $1099. AT&T and Verizon will also be selling it.

The first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3-powered laptop has just been announced. The ThinkPad X13s is a brand-new clamshell PC that looks to bring Lenovo's enterprise-first security and familiar TrackPoint system to mobile workers.

Windows-on-ARM is nothing new to Lenovo, which has launched previous devices like the first mmWave 5G laptop, the 2020 Flex 5G, and the Lenovo Yoga C630 from 2018. But the X13s is the first to earn the ThinkPad badge. What that means is besides the familiar TrackPoint red dot on the keyboard, it also gets the full suite of security features that make ThinkPads, well, ThinkPads.

Lenovo told Windows Central during a briefing that this laptop has been in development for the last four years as it worked with Microsoft to bring Lenovo's security of software and tools natively over to ARM, including VPN and antivirus abilities required by companies.

The laptop has a familiar design with a low-power 13.3-inch 16:10 1920x1200 (FHD+) display that is also anti-glare. The top and bottom covers of the X13s are made from 90% certified recycled magnesium and come in a "Thunder Black" colorway.

The rest of the specs are also impressive, especially for connectivity. There is the latest Wi-Fi 6E and, of course, 5G, including mmWave and sub6. The inclusion of mmWave, which is always challenging and still rare in laptops, is one reason Verizon (along with AT&T) will be selling this laptop later in 2022.

Since mobile video conferencing is so important these days, the ThinkPad X13s has a 5MP full HD web camera with AI-based auto framing, Windows Hello IR for facial recognition, and a triple microphone array with intelligent noise suppression. There are also modern features like human presence detection, which allows hands-free logging in, locking the PC, and dimming the screen when not looking at it to save power.

Ports are kept simple with just two Type-C 3.2 (Gen 2) ports for data, display out, and charging, along with a standard 3.5mm headphone and mic jack.

However, the secret sauce for the ThinkPad X13s is that new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 ARM processor, first announced back in December. The 8cx Gen 3 is a 5nm SoC, a massive generational shift in performance compared to the anemic Gen 2. The CPU is supposed to garner a boost of 40% for single-core, 85% for multi-core, and 60% for GPU performance over the 8cx Gen 2, making the most substantial improvement yet.

For comparison, earlier benchmarks gave the single-core GeekBench score of 1,010, which puts the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 in the range of the Lenovo Yoga C740 with an Intel Core i5-10210U CPU.

The multi-core scores of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 look even more promising. A Geekbench 5 multi-core score of 5,355 places the processor above the HP Spectre x360 14 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7.

When combined with the 50WHr battery, Lenovo claims that the ThinkPad X13s can get 28 hours of usage (likely video streaming). While that seems absurdly high, a real-world test could land near the 17 to 20-hour mark. Indeed, Lenovo's 2020 Flex 5G hit 18 hours of usage in PCMark 10 with 20% battery left. That laptop beat the ARM-based Galaxy Book S from Samsung by 7 hours and the Surface Pro X (G1) by 10 hours.

Lenovo is also using zippy PCIe 4.0 for the SSD and LPDDR4 for the RAM, which should make this laptop easily the fastest Windows on ARM PC to date. This is the first Windows-on-ARM laptop that can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM.

We won't have to wait long to get our hands on the ThinkPad X13s, either, as Lenovo says it will begin shipping in May. Even the price is a bit fairer, starting at $1,100, which is $300 less than 2020's Lenovo Flex 5G. AT&T and Verizon are expected to carry the ThinkPad X13s a bit later in the year.

What you need to know

• AT&T is now selling the 5G-enabled Samsung Galaxy Book Go.
• It doubles RAM and storage while also adding a much faster Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 CPU.
• It costs just $800, which easily makes it the most affordable 5G Windows PC.

Hot on the heels of our review of the Samsung Galaxy Book Go comes to the 5G version of the budget PC. While it is still listed as "coming soon" on Samsung's site, major US carrier AT&T is now selling the Qualcomm-based laptop for $799 direct.

Interestingly, there are a few notable changes from the $300 version besides 4G LTE and support for 5G Sub-6 bands.

The bump to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM from just 4GB is expected, but still nice to see, but the more significant news is the processor. Instead of the slower Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, this version gets the much more performant Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 — the same processor found in the new HP Elite Folio and similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro X.

Internal storage is also bumped from 128GB eUFS to 256GB.

While a $500 bump in price is quite a lot, this version of the Galaxy Book Go effectively doubles performance across the board — RAM, storage, CPU — and adds 4G and 5G connectivity, which makes the pricing seem appropriate.

For the display, Samsung lists it as LCD instead of TFT, which may be another upgrade over the non-5G model.

The most affordable 5G PC by a mile

There are not many 5G Windows PCs floating around, but the few that exist tend to be very expensive. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga tacks on $462 just for the 5G modem bringing the price to over $2,000. The same goes for the Dell Latitude 9510 2-in-1 and HP Elite Dragonfly G2. You can see more in our best 5G laptops guide.

The very first 5G Windows laptop was also ARM-based. The Lenovo Flex 5G arrived back on July 20, 2020, and it was mainly exclusive to Verizon as it is the only laptop to support the high-speed mmWave technology in addition to standard 5G Sub-6. It's still available for around $1,370.

It's unclear if this AT&T version of the Galaxy Book Go is carrier-unlocked. Still, so far, we have never encountered an Always-Connected Windows laptop that is tied to a carrier, making it very unlikely that it is locked.

In our full review of the Galaxy Book Go, we noted that the laptop is thinner, lighter, quieter, and smaller than any other budget PC around while delivering marginally better performance. The new 5G version ups the ante but keeps the most affordable moniker by a mile. Whether people buy it now remains to be seen, but at least it is now an option for those who need it.

Thanks, Annullator, for the tip!

What you need to know

• Intel has announced two new Core U-series processors for thin and light notebooks.
• The chips are 11th Gen 'Tiger Lake' based on the 10nm SuperFin process.
• The new Core i7 is the first U-series chip to hit 5GHz (turbo single-core).
• Intel expects 60+ consumer designs with the two new chips this year.
• Intel also debuted its first 5G M.2 solution for laptop makers.

In an unsurprising but still welcomed move, Intel announced the new Core i5-1155G7 and Core i7-1195G7, which clock higher than any other U-series chips so far. Both are 4 cores, 8 threads with 12-28 watts TDP, but the clock speeds are higher to achieve even more performance. The chips are 'Tiger Lake' designed based on the 10nm SuperFin process as previous 11th Gen releases.

The i5-1155G7 brings the base frequency down from 2.6GHz to 2.5GHz compared to the i5-1145G7. But the new i5 boosts max single-core turbo to 4.5GHz (instead of 4.4GHz) and all-core turbo to 4.3GHz (instead of 4.0GHz). Likewise, graphics max frequency jumps from 1.3GHz to 1.35GHz, sharing the same clock speed of the Xe graphics of the i7-1185G7.

Similarly, the new Core i7-1195G7 has a 2.9GHz base frequency (down from 3GHz in the i7-1185G7). But the new i7 increases all-core turbo to 4.6GHz (up from 4.3GHz) and single-core turbo to that coveted 5.0GHz (up from 4.8GHz). Equally, its Xe GPU hits a new high of 1.4GHz instead of the 1185G7's 1.35GHz.

Intel is confident its new i7-1195G7 can "eclipse" the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U in benchmarks, whether in gaming or content creation. For instance, in gaming, Intel claims its new i7 delivers a 1.64x increase in performance versus Ryzen 7 in a game like Apex Legends. And in something like Adobe Lightroom (Photo Merge), the i7 has 2.36x the performance versus the identical Ryzen 7.

Intel has also shared info about these claims on its website for further scrutiny.

Besides just performance, these new chips still feature Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi6E (Gig+), and Intel Evo certification.

Intel announced more than 85 Intel Evo designs were launched by OEMs, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Samsung. It expects that number to go up to more than 100 by the end of 2021.

As far as momentum and adoption, Intel claims it expects over 60 consumer designs with these new Core U-series processors from its OEM partners by the end of 2021, with Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, and MSI available this summer. And, overall, Intel boasts there will be "nearly" 250 laptop designs with Intel 11th Gen Core (U-series) this holiday season.

Always connected

Intel 5G Solution 5000 M.2 coming this year

Finally, Intel revealed its new 5G Solution 5000 in partnership with MediaTek and Fibocom. The new M.2 solution lets OEM drop in 5G to new laptops with Intel Core U- and H-series processors. The Intel 5G Solution 5000 has worldwide carrier certification and "delivers nearly five-times speed increases over Intel Gigabit LTE."

The 5G type offered is the more ubiquitous Sub-6GHz standard instead of the more powerful (but range-limited) mmWave provided by Verizon (which also has more complicated antenna requirements).

While there are currently Intel-based 5G laptops like HP's ZBook Firefly and Elite Dragonfly, those laptops use Qualcomm-based X55 modems to achieve that connectivity. Instead, companies can build laptops that are pure Intel for the processor, graphics, Thunderbolt 4, and connectivity like Wi-Fi6E (Gig+), and now 5G. That competition should also help drive down 5G prices for laptops.

Fibocom will supply the part under FM350-GL, and MediaTek played a role in "product definition, development, certification, and support of 5G modem solutions."

Like the new Core U-series processors, Acer, ASUS, and HP among the first OEMs expected to implement Intel 5G Solution 5000 in new Core U- and H-series laptops later this year. Over 30 laptop designs with Intel 5G are projected for 2022.

What you need to know

• Sophos technology will be used to help protect 5G PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
• The protection will come through the Sophos Intercept X.
• Sophos expects Intercept X for Snapdragon PCs to arrive in the second half of 2021.

Sophos announced plans to bring its endpoint protection technology to 5G PCs powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon compute platforms. The technology, called Sophos Intercept X endpoint protection, will provide security for always on, always connected PCs.

The Sophos Intercept X uses deep learning AI and anti-ransomware capabilities to stop cybersecurity threats. Sophos expects its Intercept X to arrive on Snapdragon compute platforms in the second half of 2021.

"Snapdragon compute platforms mark a major step forward because they provide all the utility and performance of a PC, but with many of the benefits associated with modern mobile computing devices," says Joey Levy, chief technology officer, Sophos. "Security loves predictability, and Sophos is excited to be a part of securing this next-generation computing platform."

Levy explains why PC's built on Snapdragon compute platforms can help them be more secure:

The Sophos Intercept X will leverage Connected Standby to stay connected to a fleet of Snapdragon-powered PCs. This will help provide context and data for security investigations. It will also use AI acceleration through the Qualcomm AI Engine to optimize AI-dependant workloads to improve device efficiency.

Sophos did not specify which PCs will include the technology, so we'll have to wait to see which Windows 10 on ARM PCs utilize it.

What you need to know

• Samsung announced a release date for the Galaxy Book Flex2 5G.
• The 5G laptop is available for preorder now and will be available on February 12, 2021.
• The laptop was previously announced as the Galaxy Book Flex 5G.

Samsung finally shared the launch date for its Galaxy Book Flex2 5G laptop. The device was previously known as the Galaxy Book Flex 5G but has apparently picked up a 2 between its previous announcement and its launch date announcement (via Digital Trends).

The Galaxy Book Flex2 5G is Samsung's first 5G laptop and will be available in the UK on February 12. Preorders for the device are open starting today. The Galaxy Book Flex2 5G starts at £1,649, which is roughly $2,254.

The Galaxy Book Flex2 5G runs on 11th Gen Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics. It's Intel Evo certified, which among other required properties means that it supports instant wake and has improved battery efficiency.

As the Flex name suggests, the laptop can rotate around to act as a tablet or in various modes. It also comes with an S Pen that stores in the base of the device.

What you need to know

• Samsung announced the new Galaxy Book Flex 5G.
• The laptop sports Intel's 11th Gen chips along with a speedy 5G connection.
• Samsung hasn't provided availability or price information just yet.

Intel's 11th Gen chips are now official, and Samsung is hopping on board with the new Galaxy Book Flex 5G. An update to the original Galaxy Book Flex, the 5G version does just what it says on the tin: it brings 5G mobile connectivity.

The Galaxy Book Flex 5G comes with the option for 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, along with up to 16GB of RAM. That also means you get Intel's new Iris Plus Xe graphics, which appear to be quite capable when compared to even some of the lower-end discrete mobile chips from AMD and NVIDIA.

The 13.3-inch 1080p display is a touch panel that can be flipped around as you see fit, thank to the Flex 5G's convertible design. Samsung also includes an S Pen that has a dedicated garage to store it in on the laptop's base. With this iteration, you also get a 13MP rear camera in addition to the 720p front-facing webcam.

The 5G technology included is Sub6, so there's no mmWave here. If you don't have a 5G connection available, there's also LTE and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity on board. Thunderbolt 4 is here as well, as is a theme with Intel's 11th Gen chips. You'll also be able to log in with a built-in fingerprint reader.

There's no word on pricing yet. Likewise, Samsung hasn't provided a release date. However, it's likely we'll learn much more about the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 5G in the coming months.

The evolution of Windows 10 on ARM has been an interesting one for the last few years. Like any new category, it has taken time for the always-connected PCs to find their niche. While Surface Pro X finally put Microsoft's stamp on the technology, it is Lenovo who is taking it even further by being the first (and currently only) Windows 10 PC with built-in 5G connectivity.

Putting aside what the hype around next-gen mobile connectivity, Lenovo's take on the Flex 5G is surprisingly better than I had expected. Of course, its high asking price, no doubt due to Qualcomm's "5G tax" makes it a hard sell for anyone who doesn't have deep pockets. But none of that means it's not a great mobile solution either.

Here is where the Lenovo Flex 5G shines, and what can still be improved.

Fit for light computing

Lenovo Flex 5G design, specs, and features

The Flex 5G borrows heavily from Lenovo's previous ARM-based PC the Yoga C630, which was released in late 2018. At the time, we gave the Yoga C630 high praise due to the long battery life, overall flexibility, and is one of the first ARM PCs with 8GB of RAM.

Lenovo went on to release the decent Yoga C640, dumping Qualcomm for Intel. But that was only short-lived as back in mid-2019, Lenovo and Qualcomm had teamed up for "Project Limitless", a collab to deliver the first 5G PC to market sometime in 2020. Project Limitless became the Flex 5G, which is sold directly by Lenovo and through its US partner with Verizon Wireless.

I expected the Flex 5G to be the same as the Yoga C630, but with the bonus of 5G connectivity. It turns out, Flex 5G is much more of refinement – and overall improvement – over Lenovo's last attempt at ARM.

Lenovo calls this "Flex" instead of "Yoga" for various marketing reasons, but the concept is the same. The Flex 5G can act as a regular thin laptop or flip around to become a usable tablet. Toss in some presentation and tent modes, and you have … a flexible PC. Lenovo uses its familiar dual-hinge design, and the laptop can be opened with one hand.

For the exterior, the Flex 5G features an aluminum-magnesium chassis that is wrapped in an inviting "iron grey" soft-touch layer. The body is firm with little flex and feels high quality without also being fragile. Lenovo earns praise for its beautifully minimalist design chic, especially with the tasteful Lenovo metal badge. In a sea of laptops that put the logo center on the back of the display, Lenovo's choice stands out and is frankly more beautiful looking.

However, some may not appreciate the corresponding Lenovo badge on the keyboard deck with Verizon's 5G logo. Still, I think it is a not-so-subtle reminder of why you are buying this laptop in the first place.

For ports, there are no surprises with just two Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 on the left that can be used for charging, data, and display out. There is no Type-A port, but since this PC is just a half-inch thick (14.7mm), it is just too thin to accommodate one.

A new smart addition is the dedicated airplane mode toggle on the right side (near the headphone jack). This physical switch has a nice hologram-like color, which adds a smidge of pizzazz. The toggle lets users kill Wi-Fi and the dual 4G +5G radio to save battery. It is a small extra, but it seems so right for this laptop, and I am glad it's here.

Lenovo puts the power button with a small power LED on the right side near the rear edge. That placement makes it convenient for powering on and off in different configurations. Still, it also means some people may accidentally toggle the power when gripping the Flex 5G to reposition it. I never had that happen, but it is why some manufacturers have returned to placement on the keyboard deck. There's another small LED on the left side near the Type-C port used for charging and battery status. That LED can blink orange when low on battery and also let users know the device is charging (solid white LED, instead of blinking) while the Flex 5G's lid is closed.

Besides the infra-red lens for Windows Hello facial recognition (another significant improvement over the Yoga C630), there is a secondary fingerprint reader on the top deck. Both options for biometric logging in worked without a hitch. The Flex 5G is one of the quickest instant-on Windows PCs to date.

At 2.97 pounds (1.35kg), it is difficult to call the Flex 5G light especially compared to the super-skinny Galaxy Book S (2.1lbs, or 0.96 kg). But Lenovo's extra weight has a justification: battery. Microsoft and Samsung prioritized slimness while sacrificing battery capacity (38 and 42 watt-hours, respectively), whereas Lenovo tossed in a massive 60 watt-hours into Flex 5G.

An improved display

Lenovo Flex 5G display and inking

Lenovo is now using a larger 14-inch full HD display instead of the previous 13.3-inch found in the Yoga C630. While it's still oddly 16:9 (instead of preferred 16:10), this screen is a massive improvement over the Yoga C630's, which suffered from a cheap yellowing of whites. The 14-inch size is much more practical, delivering a noticeable difference in usable space. Colors and contrast are excellent, making this one great looking screen.

The panel also hits around 400-nits for brightness, which is decent (and improved). But Samsung's similar Galaxy Book S has an "outdoor mode" that can boost the brightness to 600 nits, which is something Lenovo should adopt. What makes things worse is Lenovo's insistence on using a very glossy display instead of either matte or the superior glossy with anti-reflective coating. This complaint may seem like nitpicking, but for a computer that you can use anywhere at any time, it's sure a challenge to use in the bright outdoors.

There is some aggressive adapative contrast. While that feature is useful for the battery and your eyes, it does reduce the visibility of dark backgrounds even more so when outdoors. Unlike Intel-based laptops, it is not obvious how you can disable the "feature."

There is no adaptive brightness on this laptop, so users will need to set how bright the screen gets manually.

The Flex 5G supports Windows Ink via Lenovo's Digital Pen, which is an extra $32. Inking also works with the dual-protocol Bamboo Ink. Like the Yoga C630, inking is just OK on this PC. It gets the job done for notetaking, highlighting, and quick sketches, but the lack of precision and accuracy do not make the Flex 5G suitable for dedicated artistry.

Shallow, but OK

Lenovo Flex 5G keyboard, audio, and trackpad

The keyboard on the Flex 5G is a bit of a mixed bag. Lenovo has well-designed keycaps here that are tactical and look great, but the travel is quite low compared to other laptops. It's not dissimilar to the Galaxy Book S and is a smidge deeper, but there is still some adjustment needed. Lenovo is going for a thin profile and a lot of battery, which means less key travel.

I had no problems typing in my use, but Michael Fisher (aka MrMobile) did report dropping some keystrokes, which I find plausible due to the low key travel.

There is two-stage backlighting controlled by the FN key plus spacebar, which is familiar to Lenovo. Thanks to the dark background, the LED lighting works well and is visible at night.

The trackpad is quite large, smooth, and it has a very even click. Lenovo is, unsurprisingly, using Microsoft Precision drivers, and I rate this trackpad as exceptionally good.

Audio is also just OK. Lenovo is rightly using top-firing speakers, which flank the keyboard. New this year is support for Dolby Atmos, which via software provides better spatial abilities giving a bit more presence. Unfortunately, the audio still lacks bass and richness compared to other premium laptops. It is not bad, but it is still far from exceptional.

Now that's fast

Lenovo Flex 5G Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G performance

The Flex 5G has a physical Nano-SIM slot on the rear lower-half to add 4G or 5G wireless connectivity. There is also support for a secondary eSIM (electronic SIM) ability where users can buy data through Microsoft's app, or users can add an eSIM provided through a carrier.

While there is some branding of Verizon Wireless for the Flex 5G, including a partnership to sell them online, the Flex 5G is carrier-unlocked and supports all 4G and 5G networks. That means you can drop in a T-mobile, Sprint, or AT&T SIM and get whatever performance those services offer, including up to 5G. The Flex 5G also supports all global bands, and users should have no problems connecting to any world carrier.

4G LTE performance is very good, thanks to the aggressive antenna array needed for 5G. Compared to Intel-based laptops with an LTE modem, the Flex 5G is always connected. I never at a single issue with it connecting to a network (unlike the HP Elite Dragonfly, which often had modem issues).

5G support here includes both mmWave and Sub-6GHz, which is excellent. While mmWave is much faster than Sub-6GHz, it is also more prone to stability issues and interference from physical objects, including windows. Sub-6GHz is less impressive, and only offers around 20% improvement over current 4G LTE, but it is more widely deployed.

With the Flex 5G, the good news is you don't need to worry about these terms as the laptop connects to whatever is available and provided through your chosen carrier.

For this review, I had to drive an hour to get to a market (Boston) with Verizon 5G availability, which tells you a lot about the current state of the technology.

The reach of Verizon 5G ultrawideband (UWB) is sparse at the moment, but where it is available it delivers impressive, albeit inconsistent speeds. It's not uncommon to see 1,700 Mbps for download with 10ms pings. Such rates let me download Starship Troopers (1997) in full HD from Netflix in precisely four and a half minutes. Those numbers can dramatically shift when moving, but even at its worst rates, it's still in the hundreds of megabits per second speed, making it vastly faster than 4G.

Upload speeds, however, are less impressive at around 60 Mbps. That's still a massive jump from 4G LTE, and it easily beats the upload rates of many people's home (and wired) cable internet.

Bluetooth 5.0 is here as well, which is expected on any premium PC in 2020. It works well, and I had no issues with it. However, Qualcomm-based laptops are still using Wi-Fi 5 (11ac) instead of the preferred Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) standard. Intel is the biggest pusher of Wi-Fi 6 mobile chips, so there is likely some politics in play as to why the Flex 5G omits the tech, which is unfortunate.

Endless battery

Lenovo Flex 5G power, battery, and performance

Although the Flex 5G is one of the more massive Windows 10 on ARM laptops nearing 3 pounds, it at least pays off with battery life. Lenovo makes some bold claims of 20 or more hours of usage, but realistically it is a minimum of at least nine hours with everything set to max. It's not uncommon, however, to routinely hit 12 or more hours, which is incredible. That's real usage with 4G LTE on and display brightness up high.

Using PCMark 10 synthetic battery test, which attempts to run down the processor to 20% while running office apps, web browser, and video calls demonstrate just how much more battery the Flex 5G packs:

PCMark 10 Battery (Applications)

There are no Intel-based laptops with 4G LTE that can claim the same (not without an extra half-pound of weight), let alone ones having 5G. When combined with the instant-on abilities, this laptop gets excellent battery life, but it also means you never have to wait for it to turn on as it behaves exactly like your smartphone.

Oddly, however, the Flex 5G has absolutely no way to hibernate. The Surface Pro X goes to a deep hibernate after a few hours, helping preserve battery life (at the cost of having to resume). Of course, users can override that feature on Surface Pro X or make the timeout feature longer. But on the Flex 5G, even under custom advanced power settings, there is no option for hibernating at all, and it cannot be added. That means the Flex 5G never turns off unless you power it down or the battery dies. In some ways, it is fine since the battery longevity here is so extended, but it also means if left unattended for a few days, the Flex 5G's battery will die just like your smartphone.

Geekbench 5

Geekbench 5.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)

Geekbench 4

Geekbench 4.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)

PCMark 10

Applications (Higher is better)

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)

.

Performance is quite good and the Flex 5G is the fastest instantiation of Windows on ARM yet (see PCMark 10). While Surface Pro X is technically more potent on paper (thanks to its 3.0GHz Qualcomm processor, instead of the 2.85GHz of the Flex 5G), it does not show up in benchmarks, nor can you noticed the difference side by side. Surface Pro X also has a stronger GPU, but it is not clear that users will see the difference in day to day productivity. I did not.

Comparatively, the Snapdragon 8cx is similar to the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, which is still used in many mid-range laptops. The 8cx also comfortably beats the older, but low-powered, Intel dual-core Core i7-8500Y.

SSD performance is also in the expected range with the 256GB UFS 3.0 drive (bumped from UFC 2.1). Just shy of 2,000 MB/s for sequential read and 500 MB/s for writing is like the Galaxy Book S but lags behind Surface Pro X.

While there is still some confusion over what Windows 10 on ARM can do, for this class of device, and my workload, I had no issues with day to day activities. Here is a sample of the apps and programs that I use on a laptop like the Flex 5G:

• Microsoft Office (Word, OneNote, Excel)
• Microsoft Edge (ARM64)
• Hulu
• Netflix
• Spotify
• VUDU
• Disney+
• Twitter
• Microsoft Teams
• Slack
• Mail (Outlook.com)
• Flow Mail (Gmail)
• Polarr Photo Editor Pro
• Microsoft News
• GroupMe
• OneDrive
• Skype
• Microsoft To Do
• myTube! (YouTube)
• MobileDiscord PTB (Discord)
• Unigram (Telegram)
• ExpressVPN using manual configuration

However, another odd bug is when the Flex 5G hits less than 20% of battery life. The Snapdragon 8cx comes to a crawl, which is very noticeable. This drop in performance is demonstratable in Geekbench 5, which saw a steep decline in single-core speed (147 versus 716). It's easy to ascribe such behavior to "battery saver mode," but this is not the case as the performance drop occurs even when plugged in and using the included 45-watt Type-C charger. That should not happen.

Because of the fanless and ventless design of the Flex 5G (and the Snapdragon processor), there is effectively no heat or thermals to report. The Flex 5G is entirely silent and never gets hot.

Anything similar?

Let's talk about the competition

The one prominent defining feature of the Flex 5G is, well, the 5G ability. As of this review, there is no competition in this space. HP is expected to have a 5G-enabled Elite Dragonfly (see our review of the non-5G version) later this summer. So is Dell with the new Latitude 9510. Both laptops, however, will run at least hundreds of dollars more than the $1,400 price for the Flex 5G, and they won't have the same battery life or instant-on abilities. Conversely, they won't have the limits of ARM64 since they rely on Intel x86, making the higher cost worthwhile for some buyers.

In other words, while not cheap, the Flex 5G may end up being the most affordable 5G-enabled laptop for the foreseeable future.

Samsung's new Galaxy Book S is a natural competitor to the Flex 5G except for the fact it is only 4G LTE capable. But at $999, it is $400 cheaper than the Flex 5G and delivers a similar experience. Unfortunately, Book S is a non-convertible laptop, which means while it does have a touch screen, it is less capable than the Flex 5G and it does not support inking at all. It also gets significantly less battery life compared to the Flex 5G and has a slightly worse keyboard, but it is thinner and nearly a pound lighter.

Microsoft's Surface Pro X is also another excellent always-connected candidate. It differs from Galaxy Book S and Flex 5G in that it is a tablet-style PC instead of a clamshell convertible laptop. The Pro X is around two hundred dollars cheaper (after including the required Surface Type Cover, and optional pen). It gets worse battery life but has a higher resolution display, excellent inking, particularly good audio, and a unique form factor.

Factoring out 4G and 5G capability, and the competition goes through the roof. There are plenty of modern Ultrabooks that cost less and deliver more performance, but lack the advantages (and disadvantages) of ARM.

Really good, but could be better

Lenovo Flex 5G Should you buy?

Who it's for

• If you absolutely "need" 5G in a laptop
• If you want always-connected with excellent battery life
• If you work mostly on web, office, email, video calls, and information
• If money is NBD
• If you like convertible PCs with OK inking

Who it isn't for

• If you want to game (without streaming)
• If you're looking to stretch your dollar
• If you need 64-bit x86 applications like Adobe Photoshop

The biggest drawback to the Flex 5G is obvious: its $1,400 price. It all comes down to the "tax" levied on by Qualcomm for its 5G compute platform. Companies have invested millions into developing and promoting 5G, so it is not uncommon to see them recoup costs by charging early adopters more money for the privilege. Such an experience is mirrored in current 5G phones, which almost always run a higher price tag unless heavily subsidized by a carrier.

The question is whether getting 5G in a laptop is worth it, which is a personal choice. While there is a lot of hype around 5G, one could convincingly argue that it makes much more sense in a laptop than a phone. You are likely to be more stable for that mmWave 5G versus a phone, and you're likely to need the bandwidth (or least, appreciate it) on a real PC.

While 5G coverage is lacking for many of us right now, it is also clear that such limitations will go away over the coming years. But then one can assume that even faster 5G-enabled laptops will be around making the Flex 5G a purchase for those with lots of extra income (or business execs). That's fine, as that is a legitimate market, but let's not confuse that with average consumers who won't see much benefit.

For fans of Windows on ARM, or the idea of an always-connected PC, the Flex 5G is one of the best implementations of the technology yet. Performance is excellent, the display here is much better than the Yoga C630, battery life is incredible, and it's just a fun laptop to use.

Some issues like the CPU performance drop when below 20% battery, or the inability to hibernate give me pause in recommending this without caveats. However, both problems are technically solvable through software (or firmware) updates, and depending on how you use the Flex 5G may not even be noticeable.

The Flex 5G does some fantastic stuff, and what it does it does very well. It delivers high-speed internet, a battery that lasts for days, excellent performance, and is an overall reliable productivity laptop. But its high price, some early bugs, and glossy display all hurt what is otherwise a significant advancement of the Windows on ARM initiative.

Availability for the Flex 5G is currently in the US-only, but Lenovo will sell it in other markets, including the UK, with EE partnerships this year. The laptop can be purchased directly from Lenovo, or Verizon Wireless with the latter knocking of $100 (1,400 vs. $1,500 from Lenovo).

Overall, it's nice to see a "win" for ARM processing on Windows PCs by being the first to new technology. While we can debate the novelty of 5G, it is impressive to have it this early on a Windows 10 PC. Even without the 5G ability, Flex 5G is an outstanding productivity-focused light computing laptop that will benefit travelers and executives once the world resumes to normal.

What you need to know

• The Lenovo Flex 5G will be available for order on June 18.
• The convertible laptop is the world's first 5G PC, according to Lenovo.
• The PC supports both millimeter wave full-band and sub-6GHz 5G networks.
• The Lenovo Flex 5G starts at $1,400.

The Lenovo Flex 5G will be available for order on June 18. The convertible 2-in-1 laptop is the world's first 5G PC, according to Lenovo. The Lenovo Flex 5G is also known as the Lenovo Yoga 5G in select markets and will be available in several regions around the world. Starting June 18, people can purchase the Flex 5G through Verizon. Lenovo also announced partnerships with EE, Sunrise, and CMCC and that the Yoga 5G will be available through Lenovo's website and in more regions later this year. The Lenovo Flex 5G starts at $1,400.

The convertible laptop supports both millimeter wave full-band and sub-6GHz 5G networks, bringing a wide range of high-speed connectivity. It's the first laptop powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G compute platform. Lenovo states that the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8cx 5G compute platform allows the Flex 5G to get up to 24 hours of battery life.

Looking at the Flex 5G, it appears similar to the rest of Lenovo's Yoga lineup. It features a 14-inch display that can wrap around 360 degrees to be used as a tablet. It can also be used in tent or display mode in addition to being used as a traditional laptop.

What you need to know

• Microsoft acquired Metaswitch Networks, a provider of virtualized network software.
• The acquisition will help Microsoft advance the operation of 5G networks.
• The acquisition follows the recent purchase of Affirmed Networks, which will also help with 5G development.

Microsoft announced the acquisition of Metaswitch Networks today, a leading provider of virtualized network software as well as voice, data, and communications solutions for operators. The purchase of Metaswitch Networks will help Microsoft work with communications network operators, including advancing 5G communications. This is the second acquisition Microsoft has made in this sphere recently, with Microsoft's deal to acquire Affirmed Networks closing on April 23, 2020. Microsoft announced the agreement to acquire Metaswitch Networks in a post by Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president, Azure Networking.

Metaswitch Networks has a portfolio of ultra-high performance, cloud-native communications software that Khalidi states complements Microsoft's offerings. Microsoft plans to utilize the technology and individuals from Metaswitch Networks and Affirmed Networks to extend its Azure platform offerings in the telecommunications industry.

In the announcement post, Khalidi explains how advancements will help the development of 5G:

Khalidi points out that as networks move forward, network operation will become "increasingly cloud-native." Microsoft will continue to work with operators and network equipment providers in the industry to move operations forward. Khalidi states, "We will continue to support hybrid and multi-cloud models to create a more diverse telecom ecosystem and spur faster innovation, an expanded set of unique offerings and greater opportunities for differentiation."

The internet in recent weeks has been awash with harrowing reports of 5G conspiracy theories making the rounds. Whilst there has always been some kind of 5G skepticism lurking in less-savory parts of Facebook and Twitter, the recent COVID-19 epidemic has compounded many people's fears and pushed the narrative into the mainstream media, both in the US and across the pond in the UK.

We've heard quite enough about these theories and the tragic material consequences that have unfortunately followed (workers and engineers threatened, the burning of masts, people being cut off from loved ones). Rather than give any more airtime to the nonsense, we sat down with two 5G experts to debunk these myths once and for all. Strap in.

The experts

Our two heroes are Iqbal Bedi and Saul Friedner. Iqbal is the Director of Intelligens Consulting Ltd, and has worked as a digital and telecoms advisor in both the UK's public and private sector for more than 25 years. He is in fact the only consultant to have advised both UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on telecoms policy. He has appeared on the BBC and even wrote a comprehensive report on 5G for the International Telecommunications Union. Saul is the associate director of spectrum services at LS Telcom UK. He has worked in spectrum management and regulation for more than 20 years and was previously employed by communications regulator Ofcom. His own expertise extends to broadcasting, as well as mobile technology including 4G and 5G. Saul has worked on 5G since its very early stages of conception, and also delivers training on 5G to regulators and operated all over the world.

As the saying goes, Saul and Iqbal have both forgotten more about telecoms and wireless spectrums than you or I will ever know.

Conspiracy

There are a few different strands of the conspiracy floating around, each more absurd than the other. So what are we dealing with here? There are two main camps it seems, some people are suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic is a result of recent 5G network rollouts across the globe. That is, that the coronavirus and its flu-like symptoms, respiratory problems, etc. are a direct result of 5G, the virus and 5G are inextricably linked, 5G causes the virus. The second, more sinister theory, is that the symptoms of COVID-19 are not caused by a virus, but directly by 5G, and are the result of essentially, radiation poisoning. This theory, from theorists I've spoken with, states that COVID-19, the pandemic, lockdown, quarantine, etc. is all an elaborate cover-up for direct harm being caused by the 5G rollout, in the same way, that SARS was a cover for 3G, and Swine Flu was for 4G. The most elaborate theory I've heard came from one conspiracy theorist who told me that the government will use the coronavirus vaccine to inject us all with nanotechnology that can be used to control us, and plenty of people seem also to believe that global stay-at-home measures are being enforced so the government can proceed with the rollout of the 5G network. Yeah, these people really exist.

Both Saul and Iqbal, like most of us I'm sure, were very aware of 5G conspiracies making the rounds, in particular ones that linked the technology to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the UK, this conspiracy has unfortunately manifested itself in acts of vandalism and arson, another factor both referred to in their initial thoughts on the subject. Saul pointed out another very concerning aspect of these conspiracies, in that they are also being propagated by high profile celebrities who are "fanning the flame" of these myths, Piers Corbyn (the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy) and TV personality Amanda Holden to name but two.

Initial reaction

When asked about their initial reaction to these alarming stories, Saul and Iqbal highlighted a couple of interesting points. According to Iqbal:

Iqbal is referring to an instance he came across of a man who filmed a tree next to a streetlight, claiming 5G was responsible for the fact half of its foliage was missing, despite their clearly being no 5G equipment deployed. On the other side of the coin, Saul highlighted his own sadness at the impact the conspiracy was having on real people who depend on 5G and other modes of connectivity, and for those having to clean up the mess left behind:

Infrastructure

So what does 5G infrastructure actually look like? I asked both Saul and Iqbal to discuss a little about how 5G is broadcast. To summarize, there are lots of different components. When 5G rolls out fully (at least 5 years from now in the UK), it will use rooftop antennas and cells on streetlights linked by fibre connections. In more rural areas, 5G will be deployed on existing towers using the 700MHz frequency to cover long distances. Saul also noted that a lot of 5G is being pushed out using upgrades to existing mobile masts, as well as the building of new ones, they currently cover the 3.4-3.6GHz frequency range. You can read more about 5G infrastructure here.

Safety

The crux of the debate (and I use that term in the loosest sense possible) is the safety of 5G, so I asked Saul and Iqbal a series of questions, namely: Do we have any reason to believe 5G is dangerous? Is there any connection to COVID-19? Is COVID-19 a cover-up for illness caused by 5G? How do we know this?

The upshot, as you can expect, is that there is no reason to believe that 5G is unsafe. When I asked Iqbal about whether there were any reasons he said:

And on the link to the coronavirus:

One key flaw in 5G conspiracy theories no one seems able to address is that COVID-19 extends far beyond countries that have operational 5G in them. When I asked about where Iqbal got his information from, he recommended the following sources:

Both Iqbal and Saul also pointed to ICNIRP, The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection as another helpful source. 'Non-ionizing is a term you may have heard bandied around when reading stories like this, and Saul helpfully expanded on what it means in his own response:

Whilst Saul, like Iqbal, specializes in the tech, not the epidemiological aspect of this debate (again, very loose use of that word) he further noted:

Much like the geographical extent of COVID-19 compared with rollouts of 5G, another key flaw in these theories is the fact that 5G has been around in commercial networks and trials for over a year, the COVID-19 pandemic is a much younger problem.

If that's true, why all the traction?

I asked Saul about why, particularly in the UK, these theories have gained so much traction. He notes that there are often anxious and concerned members of the public when new mobile technology has been introduced, and pointed to similar instances for the rollout of 2G, 3G, and 4G, albeit to a lesser extent. He also noted how social media has played its part:

From my own observation, notably on Facebook groups dedicated to these causes, there seem to be two general camps of people. There are prominent members of these communities who post "information" and videos, trying to spread the message. The rest of those involved are far more passive, unquestioning of the message before them. I'm sure you've seen people on Facebook share something along the lines of "I am copying and pasting this status so that Facebook does not have permission to use my photos..." etc. There seem to be plenty of people caught up in this who are happy to take whatever they see and read at face(book) value without a second thought.

So how do we stop all this nonsense?

There are plenty of problems the truth runs into when dealing with theories like this. When I asked Iqbal how he would approach a 5G conspiracy theorist, he said "That's a tough one. It's like asking someone to prove drinking water causes cancer. It's a non-starter." In a sense, he's right. I've been unfortunate enough to dialogue with a 5G conspiracy theorist, and the problem I ran into most was that I had no idea where to start. The idea that 5G is dangerous, or is responsible for COVID-19 is based on so many flawed premises that it's hard to know which one to address first. Here's what Saul had to say:

One of the unique aspects of this conspiracy theory is the real-life impact it is having on daily life. Arson attacks on mobile masts are disconnecting people from each other, hospitals and doctors from patients, families from other relatives and loved ones, not to mention putting workers who have to deal with them at risk, and taking up the time of emergency services during a global pandemic. Whilst many people might be apathetic to arguments about who's waves are or aren't ionizing what, plenty of people you know would be upset and angry to hear that they can no longer communicate with their grandparents, grandchildren, teachers, and friends because of the mindless acts of a few deluded individuals. Saul also recommended lobbying governments and media outlets, again not only regarding the science and facts of these cases, but also the impact of criminal actions on the local community.

He also suggested increased levels of protection, such as CCTV coverage, for infrastructure so that further damage can be prevented and individuals brought to justice. When I asked Saul the kind of questions he would ask a 5G conspiracy theorist he said:

A great example of raising awareness is recent developments on Facebook. When these stories first emerged, a UK Facebook group titled "STOP 5G UK" had more than 70,000 members. Thanks, no doubt in part due to raised awareness, Facebook has started to purge the largest of these groups from its platform. A hopeful sign. As mentioned earlier, both Saul and Iqbal recommended a couple of sources regarding testing and the safety of 5G, and I asked Saul to expand on this:

All of this is to say that if you're at all worried about 5G, you needn't be, and information from trusted, reliable sources is available. If you know people who are spreading false information, you too can use these sources and outlets to spread the right kind of information to those who want to hear it. Be wary, however, of getting bogged down too much arguing with conspiracy theorists. To them, facts are more of an inconvenience than a tool. The problem with a conspiracy theory is that each piece of evidence to the contrary just becomes part of the conspiracy, rather than serving to undermine it.

None of us will likely make any inroads trying to convince 5G conspiracy theorists they are wrong, but we can all play a part in sharing the right information with as many people as possible. But make no mistake, 5G is safe.