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Qualcomm and other cellular modem makers have gotten so good in stuffing tens of 5G bands and filtering them without interference in a single chip, that more and more phone makers are offering handsets that can work with any 5G network out of the box, starting with the record iPhone 12 5G band support. Due to the integrated 5G modem, the unlocked Galaxy S21 Ultra also supports all US carrier bands out of the box, and ditto for the Galaxy S21 and S21+.
While unlimited 5G plans from Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T haven't budget much in price, the footprint of the next-gen networks is growing leaps and bounds so fast that speed and coverage awards are shifting almost monthly lately.
Thus, if you are on the edge of 5G coverage and your Galaxy is constantly playing hide-and-seek with the signal, draining your battery, or if you think that 5G and COVID-19 are a match made in hell, you might be interested leaving things up to the LTE level.
How to switch off 5G on your Galaxy S21, S21+, or S21 Ultra
T-Mobile: Settings>Connection>Mobile networks
Verizon: n/a
AT&T: n/a
How to turn off 5G on Galaxy S21 series, unless hidden by the carrier
Unfortunately, neither Verizon, nor AT&T have provided an easy option to fulfil your tin-hat desires regarding your phone's 5G connectivity, so you'd have to leave the software do its thing, and manage the connections automatically or go deep into geeky rabbit holes.
T-Mobile, however, is very proud that it provides you the option to turn off 5G on its Galaxy S21, S21+, or S21 Ultra models, because it is certain that you'd never actually need or want to.
On @TMobile, the Galaxy S21 **does** let you turn off 5G if you want - but it's the only one of the three carriers where you almost never want to turn off 5G (and ironically, the only one that lets you.)
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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