Smart Phones

Buying iPhone 12 in the UK? Here’s where you can use 5G

5G first hit the UK back at the end of May 2019, with the launch of EE 5G services in six cities. Nearly 18 months later and eight different networks offer 5G connectivity — even if the rollout has been slow to expand to new areas. 

5G phones are not new by any means, but the upcoming release of the iPhone 12 is also set to put 5G handsets into the hands of even more people. iPhones are popular, after all, and everyone who buys the devices are going to want to take full advantage of its capabilities — including the high speed, low latency connection of 5G.

The issue is 5G isn’t everywhere, so we’ve compiled a list of locations that do offer 5G services — plus the networks that are running them.

Which UK networks have 5G?

A lot of the major networks are now offering some sort of 5G coverage, whether they’re the major networks that have their own mobile infrastructure or the virtual operators that rely on the bigger networks’ phone masts. All four major networks offer 5G coverage, which means EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone customers can sign onto a 5G contract and connect to 5G signals — assuming they’re in range. 

Only a few virtual operators offer 5G right now, but so far we have BT (using EE signal), Voxi (using Vodafone’s), Sky Mobile, and Tesco (both connecting via O2). Of course only Sky Mobile and Tesco are actually independent networks, since VOXI is part of Vodafone and BT naturally owns EE.

Which areas of the UK have 5G?

UK 5G Coverage by Location
Location EE O2 Three Vodafone
Aberdeen Yes Yes Yes
Abingdon-on-Thames Yes
Aldershot Yes Yes
Altrincham Yes
Ambleside Yes
Ashford Yes Yes
Ashton-under-Lyne Yes
Balloch Yes
Barrhead Yes
Barrow-in-Furness Yes
Banstead Yes
Bath Yes Yes
Basildon Yes Yes
Bebington Yes
Bedford Yes
Belfast Yes Yes Yes
Belshill Yes
Birkenhead Yes 2020 Yes Yes
Birmingham Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bishopbriggs Yes
Blackpool Yes 2020 Yes 2020
Blaydon Yes
Bootle Yes
Borehamwood Yes
Bolton Yes
Bournemouth 2020 2020
Bradford Yes Yes
Bransholme Yes
Brentwood Yes
Bridge of Don Yes
Brookmans Park Yes
Brighton Yes Yes
Bristol Yes Yes Yes
Bury Yes
Cardiff Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cambridge 2020 2020 Yes
Cannock Yes
Castleford Yes
Castlereagh Yes
Chatham Yes Yes
Cheadle Yes
Chelmsford Yes
Cheltenham Yes
Cheshunt Yes
Chesterfield Yes Yes
Chester-le-Street Yes
Chorley Yes
Clayton-le-Woods Yes
Clevedon Yes
Clifton (Notts) Yes
Clydebank Yes
Crawley Yes
Crosby Yes
Coventry Yes Yes
Cullingworth Yes
Cumbernauld Yes
Dartford Yes Yes
Derby 2020 Yes Yes
Dewsbury Yes
Dinnington Yes
Doncaster Yes Yes
Droylsden Yes
Dudley Yes
Dunbarton Yes
Dundee Yes Yes
Dyce Yes
Eastbourne Yes
Eccles Yes
Edinburgh Yes Yes Yes
Epsom Yes
Esher Yes
Eton 2020
Gateshead Yes
Gatwick Yes
Gillingham Yes Yes
Glasgow Yes Yes Yes Yes
Gloucester 2020
Gorebridge Yes
Grays Yes Yes
Great Shelford Yes
Grimsby Yes
Guildford Yes 2020 Yes Yes
Hamilton Yes
Harlow Yes
Heanor Yes
Hedge End Yes
Hemel Hempsted Yes Yes
Hoddesdon
Horwich Yes
Hove 2020
Huyton-with-Roby Yes
Huddersfield Yes Yes Yes
Hull Yes Yes
Ilkeston Yes
Ipswich Yes
Inchinnan Yes Yes
Isle of Scilly Yes
Jarrow Yes Yes
Kimberley Yes
Kingston Upon Thames Yes 2020
Kingswood (Bristol) Yes
Lancaster Yes
Leeds Yes Yes Yes Yes
Leicester Yes Yes Yes
Leyland Yes
Lichfield Yes
Lincoln Yes
Lisburn Yes Yes
Liverpool Yes Yes Yes Yes
Llandudno Yes
Loughborough Yes
Loughton Yes
London Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lower Stondon Yes
Luton Yes Yes
Maidstone Yes Yes
Manchester Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mangotsfield Yes
Mansfield Yes
Middlesbrough Yes
Milnrow Yes
Milton Keynes 2020 2020
Minster Yes
Mirfield Yes
Morley Yes
Motherwell Yes Yes
Neston Yes
Newbury 2020 Yes
Newcastle Yes Yes
Newtownabbey Yes
Newton-le-Willows Yes
Northampton Yes Yes
North Shields Yes Yes
Norwich Yes
Nottingham Yes Yes Yes
Nuneaton Yes
Oldbury/Smethwick Yes
Oldham Yes
Orpington Yes
Oxford Yes Yes
Paisley Yes Yes
Penarth Yes
Peterborough 2020 Yes Yes
Plymouth Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pontefract Yes
Portsmouth 2020 2020 Yes
Porthcawl Yes
Potters Bar Yes
Preston Yes
Prestwish Yes
Rainham Yes
Reading 2020 Yes Yes
Redcar Yes
Redhill Yes
Rochdale Yes Yes
Rochester Yes
Romford Yes
Rotherham Yes Yes 2020
Royston Yes
Rugeley (West Mids) Yes
Salford Yes Yes
Sheffield Yes Yes Yes
Shelly Green Yes
Shipley Yes
Slough Yes Yes
Solihull Yes Yes
Southampton 2020 2020 2020 Yes
Southend on Sea Yes
South Shields Yes Yes
St. Albans Yes
Staines-upon-Thames Yes Yes
Stafford Yes
Stevenage Yes Yes
Stirling Yes
Stockport Yes
Stoke-on-Trent Yes Yes
Stranraer Yes
Stretford Yes
Sunbury Yes
Sunderland Yes Yes Yes
Sutton Coaldield Yes Yes
Swansea Yes Yes
Swadlincote Yes Yes
Swindon Yes
Swinton and PendleburyUrmston Yes
Sydenham Yes
Thundersley Yes
Tynemouth Yes
Wakefield Yes
Wallasey Yes
Walsall Yes
Waltham Abbey Yes
Waltham Cross Yes
Walton-on-Thames Yes
Warwick Yes
Washington Yes Yes
Warrington Yes Yes
Watford Yes
West Bromwich Yes
Westhoughton Yes Yes
Weston-Super-Mare Yes
Weybridge Yes Yes
Wickford Yes Yes
Wigan Yes
Windsor Yes
Wolverhampton Yes 2020 2020 Yes
Worcester 2020
Worthing Yes
York Yes

As you can see it’s quite the mishmash of locations, ranging from big cities to small towns you probably won’t have heard of if you don’t live nearby. EE is clearly winning in terms of number of locations, though it’s also facing some stiff competition from O2 and Three. 

So if you’re looking for the most comprehensive 5G coverage, EE (or BT) is clearly the way to go. Of course O2 has quite the reach too, and its availability on Sky and Tesco gives you more choice on contracts and data plans.

Of course 5G coverage isn’t universal, even in places where the network is available. It can change from one end of town to the other, street to street, or even depending on whether you’re inside or not. So make sure to check out coverage maps before you commit to a network. 

EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone all have their own maps, but if you’d rather not have to keep switching between different network websites check out nperf’s map. That map doesn’t let you toggle off 2G, 3G, or 4G, but it does let you swap between networks at the click of a button — which could prove very useful.

What about iPhone 12 and 700MHz?

Thankfully buying the iPhone 12 shouldn’t be an issue. There had been some pre-launch rumours that the phone wouldn’t support the 700Mhz 5G band, which while not in use in the UK just yet is still expected to play a key role in expanding 5G coverage — on account of its long range. Fortunately Apple’s specs tell a different story, and promise that all four iPhone 12 models will support 700Mhz (along with several other layers of the 5G spectrum) in the U.K.

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