Does the HP Pavilion Aero have 5G? Do I need it?

The HP Pavilion Aero is an incredibly promising laptop in HP’s mainstream lineup. It’s the company’s lightest consumer laptop, but it still packs a punch. It comes with AMD’s latest Ryzen processors, up to a Ryzen 7 5800U, up to 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. It also has a great display coming in at Full HD+ resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Given it’s so portable, it would be great if the HP Pavilion Aero also came with 5G, or at least LTE. That way, you could stay connected to the internet wherever you go.

Unfortunately, though, the HP Pavilion Aero doesn’t come with 5G or any other cellular support. While many aspects of this laptop can be configured when buying it, there’s currently no option for cellular. Whether you need it or not is a different question, however.

What is 5G and do you need it?

5G is the latest version of cellular communication standards, the kind of network that allows your phone to work. It’s the successor to 4G LTE, and it promises higher speeds and more bandwidth to accommodate an ever-increasing number of connected devices. 5G comes in two major variants — mmWave and sub-6GHz. Sub-6GHz is similar to current LTE technology in that it operates at comparable frequencies, but that also means it’s only slightly faster. mmWave operates at much higher frequencies and it can be much faster, but it can easily be blocked by any physical obstacles like a tree or a window.

While it’s primarily meant for phones, 5G — just like 4G LTE — is also available on some laptops. While you can’t use it to make calls, what it gives you is an internet connection wherever you go. Typically, you’d have to depend on Wi-Fi networks to be able to connect to the internet on your PC. That would limit your options, but you could also risk your security by connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot when you’re out and about. Cellular networks like 5G allow laptops to stay connected from anywhere, and without the security risks.

A reference design of a 5G laptop

However, cellular connectivity in laptops still isn’t completely widespread, and when the option is there, it usually makes the device much more expensive. That’s especially true for 5G, which is still in its early stages. Adding 5G support to a laptop dramatically increases the price, and the benefits right now are still limited. In many cases, you may be better off with LTE.

Will there be a 5G version of the Pavilion Aero? What about other laptops?

The HP Pavilion Aero is unfortunately one of the laptops that only comes with Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. HP hasn’t said anything about a 5G or LTE version eventually launching, so there’s no telling right now. However, even if it happens, it will probably be an LTE version. 5G is still considered more of a premium option, and only high-end laptops have it.

The HP Pavilion Aero

If you have the money to spend and you want to future-proof yourself, you can check out our list of the best 5G laptops you can buy today. Or if you just want something with LTE right now, we have a list of great 4G laptops, too.

To be clear, the HP Pavilion Aero is still a fantastic laptop for its price. It has high-end performance, a great display, and you can take it anywhere easily. It’s a great laptop for a student, for example. The lack of 5G or LTE support might be a bummer, but it’s also not uncommon at all in this price range. The HP Pavilion Aero is still one of the company’s best laptops, and for AMD fans, this is one of the best laptop designs packing an AMD Ryzen processor, too.

Starting at $749.99, it’s fairly affordable, too, but if you want something even cheaper, you can check out our list of budget HP laptops and see what interests you. Otherwise, you can buy the HP Pavilion Aero below.

HP Pavilion Aero

The Pavilion Aero is HP's lightest consumer laptop, but it still packs a punch. With poweful AMD Ryzen processors, and a tall and sharp display, it's extremely comptetent for its price.

Buy at HP

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