Not all 5G is the same. An expert breaks it down.

You're going to hear a lot about 5G in 2020. Chances are you probably already have. With Apple set to launch 5G-compatible iPhones next year, it's a fair bet that plenty of you will own a device that can connect to that ultra-fast wireless mobile standard by the end of September or so. 

Annoyingly, however, not all 5G works the same. Between AT&T's 5G+, Verizon's "Ultra-Wideband" 5G, T-Mobile's "nationwide" network, and Sprint's "True Mobile 5G," different carriers' marketing terms can make it tough to tell what you're actually getting from their 5G plans.

While it might seem confusing from the jump, you can basically separate 5G coverage into two camps: low-/mid-band and millimeter wave, commonly known as mmWave. The former uses frequencies below 6GHz and the latter goes beyond that threshold. Either way, 5G is a great deal faster than 4G LTE, which is what your phone uses nowRumor has it that next year's iPhones will take advantage of one or the other, but more on that in a bit. Read more...