How to Check if Your Phone Supports 5G

Pakistan is about to launch 5G services very soon. Word is that we will start getting 5G in “major cities” during Eid al-Fitr. Ahead of its release, it’s high time we start talking about whether or not your phone supports 5G. Believe it or not, you do need a supported phone with all the supported 5G bands to access the next-generation cellular network.

As a starter, many Android phones with 5G support mention it in their names. They either have 5G in the name, such as “Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G”, or clearly say “Galaxy A07 4G” if it’s a 4G only model.

However, it’s not always as straightforward as that, so here are a few simple methods to confirm whether your phone can run 5G. As for iPhones, all iPhones released after iPhone 11 do have support for 5G, so we don’t need a guide for iPhones.

Check Phone Settings

The easiest way to confirm 5G support is through your phone’s network settings.

• Go to Settings
• Tap Network & Internet or Connections
• Select Mobile Network
• Look for Preferred Network Type or Network Mode

If you see options like:

• 5G / 4G / 3G
• 5G Auto or 5G Only

Then your phone supports 5G.

If you only see 4G/LTE or lower, your device does not support 5G.

Check Online

If you’re unsure, you can verify your phone’s specifications online.

• Go to Settings > About Phone
• Find your model name or number
• Search it on Google (e.g., “Samsung Galaxy A32 specs”)

Check the official brand website or trusted sources such as gsmarena or ProPakistani’s own price portal for smartphones, ProPrice. If 5G is listed under network support, your phone is compatible. This method confirms hardware support, even if 5G is not enabled yet.

Use an IMEI Compatibility Check

Every phone has a unique IMEI number that can be used to check compatibility with networks.

First, confirm your phone’s IMEI number:

• Dial *#06# on your phone
  or
• Go to Settings > About Phone (or simply search “IMEI” in your phone’s settings)

Then:

• Enter the IMEI on a website such as IMEI Info.

This method is especially useful because some phones support 5G hardware but not the bands used by your carrier.

Look for the 5G Icon on Your Phone

If you are in a 5G coverage area and your phone supports it, you may see a “5G” symbol in the status bar. Some phones, including the Vivo V60, and many others, show this without having mobile data on.

• This indicates your phone is connected to a 5G network
• However, not seeing it does not always mean your phone is incompatible

It could simply be due to:

• No 5G coverage
• 5G turned off in settings
• Network restrictions

Check Supported 5G Bands

Not all 5G phones work on every network. Your phone must support the correct frequency bands used in your country.

• Different countries use different 5G bands
• If your phone lacks those bands, 5G may not work even if the device is 5G-enabled.

You can find supported bands in:

• Official specs
• Websites like GSMArena
• Manufacturer product pages

Make Sure Your Phone Software is Updated

Sometimes 5G is disabled until a software update is installed.

• Go to Settings > Software Update
• Install the latest version

In some rare cases, manufacturers enable 5G later through updates, depending on the network.