Would it be dumb to buy a new smartphone that's not 5G capable?

[Shane]

Trying to decide between the Moto G Power (32GB of storage, $189.99) and the Motorola One 5G Ace (128GB storage, $379.99). Current phone only has 32GB of storage, which has never been a problem, so don't really see the need to pay extra to get 4X as much storage. The only reason I would consider spending more money is if not having 5G capability was going to make my phone prematurely obsolete. Current Huawei phone is fine, except for the fact that its 4,000mAh battery is no longer holding a charge as well as it used to. Only paid ~$200, new in 2017, for current phone, so doesn't really seem worthwhile to pay to get a new battery installed, which I'm guessing would probably cost as much, or more, if that's even a possibility, given that Huawei is banned in the US, I think. Also open to getting a different Motorola phone. Right now, I'm leaning towards the 2021 Moto G Power, with the 5,000mAh battery that's supposed to last 2+ days. Would like to keep the phone for at least a few years. Will I regret not spending more to get 5G? Any suggestions?

[Tinker]

4G should be fine for one more product lifetime, they only just got rid of 3G networks over here.

[Metalcat]

4G should be fine for one more product lifetime, they only just got rid of 3G networks over here.

Yep, I bought a 4G phone less than a year ago. I anticipate it will be some time before it's necessary that I upgrade to 5G and by that point, it won't come at a premium.

[YttriumNitrate]

I would also go with the cheaper phone. I would guess the battery in it will be toast long before the 4G network is.

[Shane]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I'll take your advice and buy the cheaper, 4G phone. Maybe, in a few years, by the time I need another phone, 5G will be a thing, and I can get one then.

[Hibernaculum]

I recently was in the market to replace my 3.5-year old Motorola G4 play. I looked at a lot of the Motorola and Samsung models, but ended up with a Pixel 3. Got it on sale in the pink version for $190; I see they are now on Amazon new for $174. I'm very happy with it. Like the others said, I figure in three years or so when I might be looking again, 5G will be the standard thing...

[Shane]

@Hibernaculum thanks for your suggestion, but I already ordered a 2021 Moto G Power. Think it was $221 w/64GB of memory. According to Amazon, it should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll be good...

[goodtimesahead]

Definitely not dumb. Until most phones are 5G capable, 4G won't be going anywhere. I would guess 5+ years for 4G to disappear. Batteries do degrade over time so I would prioritize bigger battery to get more longevity out of your device.

[jac941]

Definitely not dumb. Until most phones are 5G capable, 4G won't be going anywhere. I would guess 5+ years for 4G to disappear. Batteries do degrade over time so I would prioritize bigger battery to get more longevity out of your device.

Agreed. Also, while 5G is fast, it drains the battery. I got a 5G phone this year and actually have 5G reception at my house. When I use the 5G my phone battery doesn’t even make it a full day. Really annoying. I remember that being an issue with 4G as well, so am expecting that the phone companies will improve the battery issue over the next few years too. Better to wait.

[HipGnosis]

Definitely not dumb. Until most phones are 5G capable, 4G won't be going anywhere. I would guess 5+ years for 4G to disappear. Batteries do degrade over time so I would prioritize bigger battery to get more longevity out of your device.

I'd prioritize user replaceable battery.

[nalor511]

Who's your carrier? Metro, tmo, att, all giving away phones at the caliber of the ones you looking at, except 5g

[Shane]

Who's your carrier? Metro, tmo, att, all giving away phones at the caliber of the ones you looking at, except 5g

For the past 2 years, we've been using H20 Wireless, and are happy with the service. H20 offers discounted phones on their website, but only if you buy their "$60 plan" that comes with more wireless data than we could possibly ever use. Right now, we have the "$20 plan" that actually only costs $18/month, because we get a discount for having our account set up to autopay from a CC. The $20 plan includes up to 2GB of data and unlimited text messaging and phone calls, which is plenty for us. Thanks for the suggestion.

[ChpBstrd]

I did a quick search for "Huawei Battery" on eBay and it looks like a new 4000mah battery sells for $13, plus tools, and with free shipping. That battery might last you another 2-3 years until 5G phones cost the same as 4G phones do now. Plus the added benefit of not having to move everything over. See YouTube for instructions on how to swap batteries.

[Shane]

I did a quick search for "Huawei Battery" on eBay and it looks like a new 4000mah battery sells for $13, plus tools, and with free shipping. That battery might last you another 2-3 years until 5G phones cost the same as 4G phones do now. Plus the added benefit of not having to move everything over. See YouTube for instructions on how to swap batteries.

Wow, thanks, that's cheaper than I would've expected! Just gave the old phone away, this morning, to a friend who is planning on letting his two young children use it to play games. My friend didn't seem concerned about the relatively short battery life, because he said his kids would mostly be using the phone over wifi at home, where they can always easily just plug it in if the battery starts to get low.