Google doesnโt have plans to support C-Band on the Pixel 5A. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
Google says it doesnโt plan to update the software for the Pixel 4a 5G, 5, or 5a to support C-band 5G in the US, despite also saying that the phones have the necessary hardware and that the functionality will work in other countries. Google hasnโt explained this decision, which it announced in a post on the Pixel support forums (h/t to Android Police for spotting that post). Google has updated its latest Pixels in the US, the 6 and 6 Pro, with C-band via a software update, but not those older phones.
The post says that the earlier Pixel models โhave C-band capable hardware and are enabled for operation in certain countriesโ but that the company does โnot have any plans to support C-band operation in the USโ for those earlier Pixel models.
This news is, frankly, a bummer. When my colleague Chris Welch tested Verizonโs C-band network, it was notably faster than 4G LTE and most of the other 5G services the company provided. While C-band isnโt as fast as mmWave, itโs got more range, making it more viable for more customers. Verizon and (to a lesser extent) AT&T are spending billions to make C-band a big part of their 5G networks โ and these relatively recent phones, seemingly arbitrarily, canโt use it in the US. Itโs especially upsetting for the Pixel 5, a flagship phone thatโs only one generation old and which already has the FCCโs approval to use C-band.
(If youโre wondering about T-Mobile, its current 5G network doesnโt utilize C-band, though it does have plans to introduce some late next year. The company loved pointing this out during the 5G debacle with the FAA, carriers, and airlines.)
Google didnโt immediately respond to an email from The Verge asking why it would support C-band in some countries but not others. In its post, the company points out that the phones will still be able to use whatever Sub-6 and mmWave 5G capabilities they had at launch.
As always, this serves as a reminder to not buy something based on features it may or may get in a future software update. In our Pixel 5a review from 2021, we mention that the phoneโs lack of C-band could be a drawback in the future but that Google could add support for it if it wanted. Unfortunately, it seems like that future is right around the corner for customers with phones that Google is supporting. But the company doesnโt seem interested in including US customers that donโt have the latest and greatest Pixels.