The Licensing Terms Behind 5G Bands in Smartphones

When it comes to the latest smartphones with 5G capabilities, one question that often arises is why some devices only support a limited number of 5G bands. To understand this, we need to delve into the world of licensing terms and how they affect smartphone manufacturers.

One of the primary reasons why some smartphones may not support all available 5G bands is due to licensing agreements with companies like Qualcomm. When a manufacturer purchases a chip from Qualcomm for its 5G-enabled device, it typically pays a license fee for a specific subset of frequencies. This means that if the manufacturer wants to use all available 5G bands on their device, they would need to pay additional fees to Qualcomm, which can be costly.

For instance, let's say we have a manufacturer who wants to purchase a chip with support for all 10 bands of 5G (e.g., Band 1-10). The cost of this chip might be $100. However, if the manufacturer only needs support for two or three specific bands (e.g., Band 2, 3, and 7), they can negotiate a deal with Qualcomm to reduce the price to around $85. This is because the manufacturer is not using all the available frequencies on their device.

The impact of this licensing structure becomes evident when we look at some smartphones that have limited 5G support. For example, the Oneplus 9 Pro has only two bands of 5G, which is a compromise from the company's flagship device, the Oneplus 9. When asked about this, it was revealed that Qualcomm had reduced the price of the chip to $85 due to the manufacturer's request for fewer bands. This reduction in cost allowed Oneplus to pass on the savings to consumers, but at the expense of some key features.

Another aspect of 5G licensing is how it affects the software side of things. Once a device is manufactured and sold, the manufacturer can update the firmware to enable support for additional 5G bands using software patches. However, this process depends heavily on the terms of the original license agreement with Qualcomm. If the manufacturer has bought chips with specific frequency support, they might not be able to enable these frequencies even after a software update.

In recent years, the debate around 5G licensing and its impact on smartphone manufacturers has become increasingly prominent. While some argue that it's unfair for companies like Oneplus to offer fewer bands of 5G, others claim that this is simply a reflection of the high costs associated with 5G technology. However, critics argue that when you're selling devices at premium prices, consumers should expect comprehensive support for all available frequencies.

One of the most telling examples of how licensing terms can affect smartphones comes from Oneplus itself. The company's Indian variant of the Oneplus 9 has limited 5G support due to reduced licensing fees paid by Qualcomm. While Oneplus claims that they will enable additional 5G bands using software updates, it remains unclear whether this will happen or not.

In conclusion, the issue of 5G licensing is far more complex than a simple matter of which frequencies are available on smartphones. It involves high stakes negotiations between manufacturers and companies like Qualcomm, as well as considerations around software updates and future-proofing devices. As we move forward in the world of 5G technology, it will be crucial to understand these dynamics and their impact on consumer choice.

The Oneplus 9: A Compromise Variant?

In a recent video review, one popular tech reviewer discussed the Oneplus 9 Pro's limited 5G support, sparking debate among viewers about whether this is an acceptable compromise. When asked about the reason behind this limitation, the reviewer explained that it was due to reduced licensing fees paid by Qualcomm for specific frequency support.

The Oneplus 9 Pro's limitations on 5G bands might seem like a minor issue at first glance, but when you consider the premium pricing of this device, it raises questions about what consumers can expect. The reviewer highlighted how having limited 5G support can affect the overall user experience, particularly in areas with strong 5G coverage.

One of the most significant drawbacks of the Oneplus 9 Pro's design is its material composition. Gone are the days of a metallic aluminium frame, replaced by a more budget-friendly fiber and plastic combination. This change might seem minor to some, but it does raise concerns about durability and long-term reliability.

A more pressing concern for potential buyers, however, is whether the Oneplus 9 Pro's limitations on 5G bands make sense, given its premium pricing. With features like wireless charging and a high-resolution display absent from this variant, some users might be left wondering if they're getting the full package.

Ultimately, whether or not the Oneplus 9 Pro with limited 5G support makes sense depends on individual priorities and expectations. For those willing to make compromises in exchange for a more affordable device, the Oneplus 9 Pro might still offer value. However, for those seeking comprehensive 5G capabilities at premium prices, it may be worth considering other options.

One of the most telling aspects of this debate is how it highlights the importance of transparent communication from manufacturers about their devices' capabilities and limitations. When buying a smartphone, consumers have a right to know what features are available on their device, including its 5G support.

In conclusion, the Oneplus 9 Pro with limited 5G support serves as an example of how licensing terms can impact smartphones. While some might see this limitation as an acceptable compromise, others will be left wondering if they're getting a full package at premium prices. As we move forward in the world of 5G technology, it's crucial to prioritize transparency and communication from manufacturers about their devices' capabilities and limitations.

The Future of 5G Licensing

As 5G technology continues to evolve, the debate around licensing terms is likely to become even more contentious. With more devices being released that support multiple frequency bands, manufacturers will need to navigate increasingly complex agreements with companies like Qualcomm.

One possible solution to this problem could be for manufacturers to opt for " tiered" licensing options. This would allow consumers to choose between different levels of 5G support, depending on their needs and budget. For instance, a low-end device might only offer basic 4G capabilities, while a flagship model provides comprehensive 5G support.

Another potential solution is for manufacturers to prioritize transparency when discussing the limitations of their devices' 5G capabilities. By providing clear information about which frequencies are supported and why certain bands have been excluded, consumers can make informed decisions about their purchases.

In addition, regulatory bodies could play a crucial role in shaping the landscape of 5G licensing. Governments and industry organizations might need to establish clearer guidelines for manufacturers when it comes to 5G technology, ensuring that consumers receive comprehensive support for all available frequencies.

Ultimately, the future of 5G licensing will depend on how these complex issues are addressed. As we move forward in this rapidly evolving space, one thing is clear: transparency and communication from manufacturers will be essential in keeping consumers informed about their devices' capabilities and limitations.

In conclusion, the debate around 5G licensing highlights the complex interplay between technology, pricing, and consumer expectations. As the world of 5G continues to expand, it's crucial that manufacturers prioritize transparency and communication when discussing the limitations of their devices' frequencies. By doing so, we can ensure that consumers receive comprehensive support for all available frequencies, regardless of whether they opt for premium-priced devices or more affordable options.

By understanding the complex dynamics behind 5G licensing, consumers can make informed decisions about their purchases, knowing exactly what features and capabilities are included in their device.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi guys this is ranjit and in this video i'm going to talk about the oneplus 9 variant specifically the 18 variant that is sold in india i think so you guys need to know this before you're buying the oneplus 9 variant and i don't think so it's a very good variant and i'll talk about it why and i have been actually using the oneplus 9 pro uh so i'll also be posting a video about this very soon so stay tuned to the channel so let's first talk about the oneplus 9 uh and as you can see i have my laptop so made some notes and it's certainly in india for that pricing of about forty nine thousand nine hundred ninety about fifty thousand and generally with the most of the oneplus devices i'm not talking about the pro lineup even the regular one we always used to have optical image stabilization in the camera but that is actually missing on the oneplus 9 and i think so that will give the camera because even with this oneplus 9 pro which has optical image stabilization supposed to be better camera the camera is okay not spectacular as they are hyping with the hasselblad branding so i miss the fact that now we are not getting that optical image stabilization on the oneplus 9 in fact the oneplus 9r that is for 40 000 has optical image stabilization so that is something you have to note but this next thing that really bugs me guys and let me actually show you this screenshot this first screenshot is from the international variant and guys if you notice that arrow there it says that the oneplus 9 that is sold in the international market is having 15 watt wireless charging so that's actually nice but look at this screenshot this is the variant that is being sold in india officially that wireless charging thing is simply missing and the indian variant that is being sold in india the oneplus 9 simply does not have any support for wireless charging and guys i checked it with some reviewers who've got the unit of the oneplus 9 in india and yes they have confirmed to me that it does not have wireless charging so i feel here we as indians are getting a second class treatment i don't like it you have one variant of the smartphone having a specific feature but in the indian variant you have just silently removed wireless charging why don't you think we as indians deserve that so i don't know about you but i feel that indirectly oneplus is just showing us the middle finger and they can say okay it's for india we'll just remove some features and that's okay so you guys let me know is that okay or not the variant of the oneplus 9 sold in india simply does not have any wireless charging okay next let's uh talk about the 5g vans and many of you actually know about this so let me talk about that and again this is the international variant that arrow as you can see it has a lot of 5g band in fact about 12 or 13 5g bands are actually supported but again if you look at the second screenshot this is for the indian variant and this is applicable to both the oneplus 9 pro as well as the oneplus 9 it has just two 5g bands as you can see denoted with that arrow so i don't like the fact that the indian variant is just having two 5g band support and some of you might argue we don't have 5g in india yes we don't have hygiene and now in india but next year sometime it should come out in india and having these limited bands can be a issue i have told hundreds of times about that and i'll talk about the 5g part also and but other vendors if you look at it for example if i talk about the snapdragon 888 this is the asus rog phone 5. this has almost all the 5g bands that that's supported and even um the what is this this is the samsung galaxy s20 fe i checked with samsung india this supports nine bands of 5g the iphone 12 that is sold in india supports all bands of six gigahertz 5g even if you talk about some of the budget oriented smartphones that are sold in india having the 5g monkeyer for example the nazo 30 pro that is for just 17 000 i think so it has four or five bands of 5g even the oppo f19 pro plus has about four or five bands of 5g so i don't get it get the point of having just two 5g bands for the oneplus 9 and the oneplus 9 pro these are not cheap smartphones budget oriented smartphones when i when you are selling a smartphone above 40 45 50 000 i feel they should support 5g max and now some of you might argue okay they might be able to enable the 5g banks or why are they limited in the 5g bank that's the big question because we know that the snapdragon 88 or even the 865 has a lot of support for 5g and many of the other smartphones are actually supporting that 5g so why do branch do this some same chipset but some brands have just one or two bands of 5g whereas other might have 9 or 10 bands of 5g and it all comes down to the licensing for example if we talk about the snapdragon 888 it has all support uh full support for 5g for every banana every band out there uh but the thing is that let's say if you're buying that snapdragon 88 like it has support for all the 5g bands like the rog phone 5 the qualcomm might charge you let's say hypothetical figure of hundred dollars but you you say to qualcomm oh we don't want so many bands of 5g we just want one or two or we don't want this feature that feature then uh qualcomm might reduce the price of the chip to about let's say hypothetical 85 so by doing that brands actually save uh some money in licensing cost that's why you find some what you say smartphones having all brands of 5g where are some simply don't have it all comes down to the licensing terms so i feel it's okay for a budget oriented device they're doing that cost getting four or five banks even budget brands are giving four or five banks but when you're charging this sort of premium you should support all brands of 5g and some of you might argue and i've seen this argument with some young bloggers influencers or trying to defend oneplus uh even though they're just giving two bands of 5g for this one plus 9 on the oneplus 9 pro they say that oneplus might enable these 5g bands later on with the software update technically yes they can do it but it all depends on the licensing terms if they have brought this bought these chips from what say qualcomm and they have just paid the license for a specific brand then qualcomm will say no you cannot enable it or they might have to pay future sums uh to qualcomm at a later date again it all depends on the licensing terms that's why generally uh we find many of the smartphones except oneplus if you notice many of the smartphones all 5g phones that are sold in india have at least four or five bands of 5g many of them have 810 bands of 5g because that's how it works and i've been in this industry for such a long time i've been running this youtube channel for the last 10 years prior to that also for five years i used to do tech blogging and in the last 15 years there is one thing that i've understood while reviewing a product is you review a product based on what functionality it has today you don't try to speculate about a product or recommend a product based on some future hypothetical update because you simply do not know you will get that update or not so people who are trying to blog us young influencers etc who are trying to defend the oneplus 9 and the nine pro just having two bands of 5g just ask them tomorrow next year 5g when it comes to india and because it has just two brands of 5g the 5g does not work will they this blogger or whatever who's defending it refund that money there there is a chance that oneplus might enable it but there is a very high chance that oneplus might simply not update those 5g bands because officially if you go to their website only officially right now two brands of 5g are supported and you bought the device with that so i hope this clears the confusion about the oneplus 9 variant that is sold in india and i frankly feel uh the oneplus 9 at 50 000 with these compromises no ois and we are getting a what do you say degraded version of the oneplus 9 without the wireless charging and the 5g band simply does not make that much sense and again one thing i completely forgot to mention is that the oneplus 9 the actual frame almost of all oneplus was metallic aluminium earlier but now on the oneplus 9 the actual frame is made up of fiber and plastic so again that is also something you got to know so i feel if you like the oneplus i would not recommend the oneplus 9 indian variant for the obvious reasons that i've mentioned and i feel the oneplus 9r makes a lot more sense guys but again what do you guys feel about this what do you feel about the oneplus 9 variant that is being sold in india i would say it's a compromise variant that oneplus is selling in india and do you think oneplus should do that or not if you agree with me hit that like button and if you don't agree hit that dislike button but if you feel uh we are not getting the right version of the oneplus 9 in india cutting down on features like wireless charging etc i would love that you share this video with your friends on twitter whatsapp etc so that people who are going to buy the oneplus 9 the indian variant in india know the exact reality i don't mind people buy this variant but they should know what they are actually getting so guys that's it for now thanks for watching and if you guys are still not subscribed to my youtube channel hit that subscribe button the oneplus 9 pro review is coming out very soon so guys that's it for now thanks for watching take care and i will catch you laterhi guys this is ranjit and in this video i'm going to talk about the oneplus 9 variant specifically the 18 variant that is sold in india i think so you guys need to know this before you're buying the oneplus 9 variant and i don't think so it's a very good variant and i'll talk about it why and i have been actually using the oneplus 9 pro uh so i'll also be posting a video about this very soon so stay tuned to the channel so let's first talk about the oneplus 9 uh and as you can see i have my laptop so made some notes and it's certainly in india for that pricing of about forty nine thousand nine hundred ninety about fifty thousand and generally with the most of the oneplus devices i'm not talking about the pro lineup even the regular one we always used to have optical image stabilization in the camera but that is actually missing on the oneplus 9 and i think so that will give the camera because even with this oneplus 9 pro which has optical image stabilization supposed to be better camera the camera is okay not spectacular as they are hyping with the hasselblad branding so i miss the fact that now we are not getting that optical image stabilization on the oneplus 9 in fact the oneplus 9r that is for 40 000 has optical image stabilization so that is something you have to note but this next thing that really bugs me guys and let me actually show you this screenshot this first screenshot is from the international variant and guys if you notice that arrow there it says that the oneplus 9 that is sold in the international market is having 15 watt wireless charging so that's actually nice but look at this screenshot this is the variant that is being sold in india officially that wireless charging thing is simply missing and the indian variant that is being sold in india the oneplus 9 simply does not have any support for wireless charging and guys i checked it with some reviewers who've got the unit of the oneplus 9 in india and yes they have confirmed to me that it does not have wireless charging so i feel here we as indians are getting a second class treatment i don't like it you have one variant of the smartphone having a specific feature but in the indian variant you have just silently removed wireless charging why don't you think we as indians deserve that so i don't know about you but i feel that indirectly oneplus is just showing us the middle finger and they can say okay it's for india we'll just remove some features and that's okay so you guys let me know is that okay or not the variant of the oneplus 9 sold in india simply does not have any wireless charging okay next let's uh talk about the 5g vans and many of you actually know about this so let me talk about that and again this is the international variant that arrow as you can see it has a lot of 5g band in fact about 12 or 13 5g bands are actually supported but again if you look at the second screenshot this is for the indian variant and this is applicable to both the oneplus 9 pro as well as the oneplus 9 it has just two 5g bands as you can see denoted with that arrow so i don't like the fact that the indian variant is just having two 5g band support and some of you might argue we don't have 5g in india yes we don't have hygiene and now in india but next year sometime it should come out in india and having these limited bands can be a issue i have told hundreds of times about that and i'll talk about the 5g part also and but other vendors if you look at it for example if i talk about the snapdragon 888 this is the asus rog phone 5. this has almost all the 5g bands that that's supported and even um the what is this this is the samsung galaxy s20 fe i checked with samsung india this supports nine bands of 5g the iphone 12 that is sold in india supports all bands of six gigahertz 5g even if you talk about some of the budget oriented smartphones that are sold in india having the 5g monkeyer for example the nazo 30 pro that is for just 17 000 i think so it has four or five bands of 5g even the oppo f19 pro plus has about four or five bands of 5g so i don't get it get the point of having just two 5g bands for the oneplus 9 and the oneplus 9 pro these are not cheap smartphones budget oriented smartphones when i when you are selling a smartphone above 40 45 50 000 i feel they should support 5g max and now some of you might argue okay they might be able to enable the 5g banks or why are they limited in the 5g bank that's the big question because we know that the snapdragon 88 or even the 865 has a lot of support for 5g and many of the other smartphones are actually supporting that 5g so why do branch do this some same chipset but some brands have just one or two bands of 5g whereas other might have 9 or 10 bands of 5g and it all comes down to the licensing for example if we talk about the snapdragon 888 it has all support uh full support for 5g for every banana every band out there uh but the thing is that let's say if you're buying that snapdragon 88 like it has support for all the 5g bands like the rog phone 5 the qualcomm might charge you let's say hypothetical figure of hundred dollars but you you say to qualcomm oh we don't want so many bands of 5g we just want one or two or we don't want this feature that feature then uh qualcomm might reduce the price of the chip to about let's say hypothetical 85 so by doing that brands actually save uh some money in licensing cost that's why you find some what you say smartphones having all brands of 5g where are some simply don't have it all comes down to the licensing terms so i feel it's okay for a budget oriented device they're doing that cost getting four or five banks even budget brands are giving four or five banks but when you're charging this sort of premium you should support all brands of 5g and some of you might argue and i've seen this argument with some young bloggers influencers or trying to defend oneplus uh even though they're just giving two bands of 5g for this one plus 9 on the oneplus 9 pro they say that oneplus might enable these 5g bands later on with the software update technically yes they can do it but it all depends on the licensing terms if they have brought this bought these chips from what say qualcomm and they have just paid the license for a specific brand then qualcomm will say no you cannot enable it or they might have to pay future sums uh to qualcomm at a later date again it all depends on the licensing terms that's why generally uh we find many of the smartphones except oneplus if you notice many of the smartphones all 5g phones that are sold in india have at least four or five bands of 5g many of them have 810 bands of 5g because that's how it works and i've been in this industry for such a long time i've been running this youtube channel for the last 10 years prior to that also for five years i used to do tech blogging and in the last 15 years there is one thing that i've understood while reviewing a product is you review a product based on what functionality it has today you don't try to speculate about a product or recommend a product based on some future hypothetical update because you simply do not know you will get that update or not so people who are trying to blog us young influencers etc who are trying to defend the oneplus 9 and the nine pro just having two bands of 5g just ask them tomorrow next year 5g when it comes to india and because it has just two brands of 5g the 5g does not work will they this blogger or whatever who's defending it refund that money there there is a chance that oneplus might enable it but there is a very high chance that oneplus might simply not update those 5g bands because officially if you go to their website only officially right now two brands of 5g are supported and you bought the device with that so i hope this clears the confusion about the oneplus 9 variant that is sold in india and i frankly feel uh the oneplus 9 at 50 000 with these compromises no ois and we are getting a what do you say degraded version of the oneplus 9 without the wireless charging and the 5g band simply does not make that much sense and again one thing i completely forgot to mention is that the oneplus 9 the actual frame almost of all oneplus was metallic aluminium earlier but now on the oneplus 9 the actual frame is made up of fiber and plastic so again that is also something you got to know so i feel if you like the oneplus i would not recommend the oneplus 9 indian variant for the obvious reasons that i've mentioned and i feel the oneplus 9r makes a lot more sense guys but again what do you guys feel about this what do you feel about the oneplus 9 variant that is being sold in india i would say it's a compromise variant that oneplus is selling in india and do you think oneplus should do that or not if you agree with me hit that like button and if you don't agree hit that dislike button but if you feel uh we are not getting the right version of the oneplus 9 in india cutting down on features like wireless charging etc i would love that you share this video with your friends on twitter whatsapp etc so that people who are going to buy the oneplus 9 the indian variant in india know the exact reality i don't mind people buy this variant but they should know what they are actually getting so guys that's it for now thanks for watching and if you guys are still not subscribed to my youtube channel hit that subscribe button the oneplus 9 pro review is coming out very soon so guys that's it for now thanks for watching take care and i will catch you later\n"