Which Android phone was the first to support 5G?

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G was the first Android phone to support 5G. Samsung released it in South Korea in April 2019, shortly after the country switched on one of the world’s first commercial 5G mobile networks.

The phone was a specialized, larger member of the Galaxy S10 family rather than simply a standard S10 with a software update. It used a 5G modem, added 5G antennas, included a larger battery, and offered a 6.7-inch display. Its first-generation 5G connection generally relied on non-standalone networks, which combined 5G radio equipment with existing 4G LTE infrastructure.

A common mix-up is the Motorola Moto Z3, which could gain 5G capability through a separate 5G Moto Mod. That accessory-based approach differs from the Galaxy S10 5G, which had 5G hardware built into the phone itself. The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G and LG V50 ThinQ followed during the same early 5G rollout.