O2 UK Give Mobile Customers Option to Upgrade to 5G+ At No Extra Cost

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today announced that they’re giving millions of their Pay Monthly mobile customers the “chance” to upgrade to their latest end-to-end 5G Standalone (5GSA / 5G+) mobile broadband network “at no extra cost”, provided they have a compatible device of course.

At present O2’s 5G+ network is already live across a total of more than 700 locations (over 70% of the UK’s population). The technology offers a pure end-to-end 5G network that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for IoT devices, increased reliability and security etc. By comparison, early 5G networks used a Non-Standalone (NSA) approach, which was hobbled by being partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure.

Take note that, as well as requiring a compatible device, O2 states that some of their customers may also need to update their SIM card to benefit from the upgrade. The quickest way to do this is by simply switching to an eSIM via O2’s website, which is free to do.

Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at VMO2, said:

“Our 5G+ service is now available to millions of customers across the UK, and uniquely, it’s available to everyone on O2 across all Plans – unlike other networks.

The upgrade boosts performance in busy areas, including major venues that host big crowds, benefiting both residents and visitors, and is another example of Virgin Media O2’s commitment to enhancing our network and delivering a more reliable experience. We’re investing £2 million every day to help our customers prepare for the next wave of mobile innovation.”

Customers should visit https://www.o2.co.uk/5g-plus (affiliate link) to check if your device is compatible and update your SIM if required.

O2’s List of 5G+ Capable Smartphones 

• Apple iPhone 15 (15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro & 15 Pro Max) 

• Apple iPhone 16 (16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max & 16e) 

• Apple iPhone 17 (17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max) 

• Apple iPhone Air 

• Google Pixel 9 (9, 9Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold) 

• Google Pixel 10 (10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold) 

• HMD Fusion 

• Honor (Fusion, Magic7 Lite, Magic 7 Pro, Magic V3, Magic V5, 400 Lite, 400 Pro, 200Smart) 

• Moto G 35, G54 5G, G75 & G85 

• Motorola Edge 50 Neo 

• Motorola RAZR (50 Ultra & 60 Ultra) 

• Nothing 3, 3a, 3a Pro 

• Oppo A5 Pro 5G 

• Oppo Reno13 (Pro & FS) 

• Samsung Galaxy A Series (A15 5G, A16 5G, A17 5G, A25 5G, A26 5G, A34 5G, A35 5G, A36 5G, A54 5G, A55 5G and A56 5G) 

• Samsung Galaxy Flip (5, 6 & 7) 

• Samsung Galaxy Fold (5, 6 & 7) 

• Samsung Galaxy S23 (S23, S23+ & S23 Ultra) 

• Samsung Galaxy S24 (S24, S24+ & S24 Ultra) 

• Samsung Galaxy S25 (S25, S25+ & S25 Ultra) 

• Samsung Galaxy XCover7 & XCover7 Pro 

• Sony Xperia 1 VI & 10VI 

• TCL 50R & 50 PRO nxt paper 5G