Device X-ray

The radios inside everyday things

Pick a device to light up every band it uses. Each radio cites the rule or standard that defines its frequencies; real products vary, and radios only some models carry are marked.

A typical U.S. 5G phone

Smartphone

A phone is a dozen radios in a glass case: cellular in several bands at once, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, satellite navigation and a few short-range links.

Radios: 12
Frequency ranges: 32
Radio bands: 4 of 8
Span: 13.6 MHz to 40 GHz

CellularWi-FiShort rangeNavigationFaint lanes: the U.S. Table of Allocations, Federal above non-Federal

Cellular, low bandCoverage: LTE and 5G bands 71, 12, 13, 14 and 5
B71 ↓617–652 MHzB71 ↑663–698 MHzB12 ↑699–716 MHzB12 ↓729–746 MHzB13 ↓746–756 MHzB14 ↓758–768 MHzB13 ↑777–787 MHzB14 ↑788–798 MHzB5 ↑824–849 MHzB5 ↓869–894 MHz
Low frequencies reach far and get inside buildings. ↑ is phone-to-tower (uplink), ↓ tower-to-phone (downlink).
3GPP TS 36.101 3GPP TS 38.104 Tune here →
Cellular, mid bandCapacity: bands 66, 25, 30 and 41
B66 ↑1710–1780 MHzB25 ↑1850–1915 MHzB25 ↓1930–1995 MHzB66 ↓2110–2200 MHzB30 ↑2305–2315 MHzB30 ↓2350–2360 MHzB41 / n412496–2690 MHz
3GPP TS 36.101 3GPP TS 38.104 Tune here →
5G mid band (n77, n48)3.45 GHz, CBRS and C-band 5G
3.45 GHz3450–3550 MHzCBRS3550–3700 MHzC-band3700–3980 MHz
3GPP TS 38.104 47 CFR Part 27, Subpart Q 47 CFR Part 96 47 CFR Part 27, Subpart O Tune here →
5G mmWave (n261, n260)Very fast, very short rangeSome models
n26127.5–28.35 GHzn26037–40 GHz
3GPP TS 38.104 Tune here →
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHzWireless networking, longest reach
2400–2483.5 MHz
47 CFR § 15.247 Tune here →
Wi-Fi 5 GHzWireless networking, U-NII-1 to U-NII-4
U-NII-1/2A5150–5350 MHzU-NII-2C/3/45470–5895 MHz
47 CFR § 15.407 Tune here →
Wi-Fi 6 GHz (6E and 7)Wireless networking, widest channelsSome models
5925–7125 MHz
47 CFR § 15.407 Tune here →
BluetoothHeadphones, watches, keyboards
2400–2483.5 MHz
Hops among channels from 2402 to 2480 MHz, sharing the band with Wi-Fi and microwave ovens.
47 CFR § 15.247 Tune here →
GPS L1Position from satellites
L11574.397–1576.443 MHz
Receive only. The civil C/A signal is centred on 1575.42 MHz.
GPS.gov Tune here →
GPS L5Second GPS frequency for accuracySome models
L51166.22–1186.68 MHz
GPS.gov Tune here →
NFCTap to pay, transit cards
13553–13567 kHz
Works over a few centimetres by magnetic coupling at 13.56 MHz.
47 CFR § 15.225 Tune here →
Ultra-widebandPrecise finding and digital car keysSome models
ch 56240–6739.2 MHzch 97737.6–8236.8 MHz
Channels 5 and 9 of the IEEE 802.15.4 UWB plan, each 499.2 MHz wide, at very low power.
47 CFR Part 15, Subpart F Tune here →