You Can't Use Sony Xperia 5 II On 5G In The US, Here's Why

The Sony Xperia 5 II is a $949 5G handset set to be launched in the US but you won’t be able to use it on 5G networks. Or at least, users in the US won’t be able to use 5G, according to Sony.

The decision, the company says, comes down to the state of 5G in that region. And it just isn’t ready yet, or at least it’s far enough behind that Sony isn’t ready to commit. That’s in terms of both how widespread it is but also in what technology is in use. The best experience for 5G, currently available via the Xperia Pro 5G, is in the sub-6GHz mmWave spectrum. Roll-outs in that spectrum are still limited to very few cities stretched across the US.

Since 5G in the US aren’t quite ready to match Sony’s vision for its devices on those networks, Sony will instead wait for the ‘appropriate’ time instead of launching prematurely with the Xperia 5 II.

The state of US 5G isn’t necessarily going to get better quickly

5G in the US is only presently nationwide on two networks. That’s AT&T and T-Mobile. But those implementations aren’t necessarily the fastest experience around. In fact, both are still heavily reliant on older 4G LTE hardware and deliver comparable peak speeds.

In terms of the fastest 5G in the region, users have to turn to Verizon. But, even with its peak speeds matching what Sony likely wants to see in the region, that’s not going to be enough to lure the company in. And that likely largely comes down to how widespread Verizon’s 5G is. Summarily, it isn’t. It’s only available in select portions of select cities.

Another problem that’s likely to become prominent is that 5G networking equipment from the world’s largest supplier isn’t available. Namely, Huawei’s equipment.

So when can you buy the Sony Xperia 5 II and what other limitations are there?

Now, none of that means the Sony Xperia 5 II isn’t going to be a great handset, even without 5G. And, as of this writing, the device is presently set to go on sale for pre-order as of September 29. December 4 is presently set aside as the date it will hit the market.

But there is one final caveat for US buyers to consider. Sony will only sell the Sony Xperia 5 II in a single color for the region — Black.