Will I get 5G with an Eflexsim plan?

Yes, in most countries Eflexsim plans include 5G access where the partner network has 5G deployed. Your phone shows a "5G" indicator in the status bar when connected. Coverage varies by country: Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, North America, and major Southeast Asian destinations have widespread 5G. Smaller markets and rural areas still rely on 4G. You also need a 5G-capable phone (iPhone 12 or later, most Samsung Galaxies and Pixels from 2020 onward) and the correct 5G enabled in cellular settings.

Below: which countries have widespread 5G, how to confirm 5G is working on your device, and what to do if you only see 4G when you expected 5G.

Where 5G is widely available

Coverage rolls out unevenly by country. Generally widespread 5G in:

• Western Europe (UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal)
• Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark)
• Japan, South Korea
• United States, Canada
• Australia, New Zealand
• United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
• Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan
• Major cities in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia

Limited or no 5G yet in:

• Some Eastern European countries outside major cities
• Most of Africa (improving)
• Rural areas in any country (even ones with strong urban 5G)
• Several Central Asian and smaller Pacific destinations

The plan page for your destination shows the underlying partner network. If you specifically need 5G, verify the partner has a 5G rollout in your destination cities before buying.

How to enable 5G on your phone

5G has to be both available on the network AND enabled in your phone's settings. Some phones disable 5G by default for battery life. Steps to enable:

iPhone:

1. Settings → Cellular.
2. Tap the Eflexsim line.
3. Tap Voice & Data.
4. Select 5G On or 5G Auto.

"5G On" forces 5G whenever available. "5G Auto" picks 5G only when it's faster than 4G LTE (saves battery). For travel use, 5G Auto is usually the right choice.

Samsung Galaxy:

1. Settings → Connections → Mobile networks.
2. Tap Network mode.
3. Select 5G/LTE/3G/2G (auto connect).

Google Pixel:

1. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs.
2. Tap the Eflexsim line.
3. Tap Preferred network type.
4. Select 5G or 5G/LTE.

Other Android:

Usually under Settings → Mobile network → Preferred network type, or similar. Set to a 5G option.

Which phones support 5G

5G requires hardware support that arrived in phones starting late 2019.

iPhone: iPhone 12 and later support 5G. iPhone 11 and earlier are 4G LTE max.

Samsung Galaxy: Galaxy S20 series and later. Some A-series models from 2020 onward also support 5G.

Google Pixel: Pixel 5 and later support 5G. Pixel 4 was 4G LTE max.

OnePlus, Motorola, Oppo, Sony, Xiaomi: flagship models from 2020 onward generally support 5G. Mid-range models vary.

If your phone is older than these, 5G simply isn't supported regardless of network availability. You'll get full 4G LTE speeds on Eflexsim, which is fast enough for typical travel use.

How to verify 5G is actually working

When connected to 5G, your phone's status bar shows a "5G" indicator next to the signal bars. Variants include:

• 5G: standard 5G.
• 5G UC (US iPhone): Ultra Capacity, T-Mobile mid-band 5G.
• 5G+ (US iPhone): AT&T's faster 5G.
• 5G UW (US iPhone): Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G.

If you see "LTE" or "4G" instead, you're on 4G LTE. To verify whether 5G is available in your specific location:

1. Run a speed test (Speedtest.net app, Fast.com).
2. 5G typically delivers 200+ Mbps download. 4G LTE typically delivers 30-100 Mbps.
3. If you're getting 50 Mbps and the indicator says 5G, you're on 5G with weak signal or congested tower. Still 5G technically.

What to do if 5G isn't appearing when expected

Three things to check:

1. Is your phone 5G-capable? Verify against the list above. If not, you'll never see 5G regardless of settings.

2. Is 5G enabled in cellular settings? Walk through the enable steps for your phone above. Verify Voice & Data (iPhone) or Preferred Network Type (Android) is set to a 5G option.

3. Are you actually in a 5G coverage area? Even cities with 5G have patches without it. Walk to a different street or stand outside near a window. Speed test apps usually map nearby 5G availability.

If all three check out and you still see only 4G, the partner network in your country may not have full 5G interconnect yet for travel eSIMs. This is sometimes a roaming-specific limitation: a partner network might offer 5G to its own subscribers but only 4G to roaming partners (which Eflexsim technically is). Email support@eflexsim.com with your location if 5G should work but doesn't.

5G vs 4G LTE in practice

For most travel use, 4G LTE and 5G feel similar. The differences:

• Download speeds. 5G is faster on paper (200+ Mbps vs 30-100 Mbps), but the practical difference disappears once you're past about 20 Mbps. Web pages load instantly on both. Video streaming works on both.
• Latency. 5G has lower latency. Useful for video calls, online gaming. Less relevant for casual web browsing.
• Battery life. 5G uses more battery than 4G LTE. Phones with auto mode switch to 4G when 5G isn't faster.
• Indoor coverage. Some 5G bands (high-band mmWave) don't penetrate walls well. Sub-6 GHz 5G performs similar to 4G LTE indoors.

For typical travel needs (maps, social, messaging, streaming), 4G LTE is more than enough. 5G matters most for heavy uploads (large photo backups), 4K video streaming, and video calls in HD.

For estimating data needs based on your typical use, see how much data do I actually need for my trip. For tour-by-country picks, see best eSIM for Japan, best eSIM for the USA, or other country guides. For confirming phone compatibility, see is my phone eSIM-compatible.