Verizon has caught up to T-Mobile in 5G competitiveness.

It took five years, but real 5G competition between T-Mobile and Verizon has finally kicked off.

According to Dave Bolan, Dell’Oro Group director, the new Apple 5G Smartwatches have wide coverage due to 5G SA availability on both the 3700 MHz mid-band spectrum and the 850 MHz band. The watches also feature LTE, allowing them to function in areas without 5G SA coverage.

Bolan stated in September 2025 that while using the 3700 MHz band, his Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra reached a download speed of 977 Mbps during a speed test.

AT&T is currently transitioning its subscribers to its 5G SA network. The company has verified that the new Apple Watch will be compatible with RedCap.

Verizon and AT&T customers can anticipate faster download and upload speeds, as well as lower latency, once 5G SA is activated in their regions. Beyond RedCap, 5G SA enables network slicing and serves as a stepping stone to 5G Advanced. T-Mobile launched 5G Advanced throughout the US in April.

Verizon and AT&T have only recently begun migrating users to 5G SA. Therefore, it could be some time before they provide 5G Advanced. Native 5G offers advantages over non-standalone (NSA) 5G, so customers should still anticipate improved connectivity.

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