Your phone actually tells you all this information, its not hidden. If the 5g icon on samsung is solid white, it means its using 5g data communication, if the icon is white letters with a black inside, you're using 4g as your 5g signal is bad or slower.
To add to this, most 5g towers are "new radio non standalone". Meaning 5g non standalone. Meaning its using the communication and control systems of 4g, but sending data using 5g. This gives 5g speeds but not the enhanced security or optimisation that the full 5g protocol offers. This is mostly because NR NSA is kinda just bolting 5g speeds to a 4g tower so its way easier.
Some towers in the uk are getting NR SA or standalone. This is the full 5g protocol and data rate, though your phone will still swap to 4g if 5g signal isn't good enough to offer fast speeds. (As I explained by the icon described earlier).
5g also has multiple modes regardless if its in standalone or non standalone mode. The main ones in the uk being low and high frequency. Main point is high frequency is fast but has bad range, low frequency is decent with long range. There are other modes like 5g advanced which I believe is the same as carrier aggregation (multiple cell towers sending you data so faster speeds) and mmwave which is only on american model phones and honestly isn't useful in real life
Tldr, cell providers never trick you with fake 5g thats actually 4g, your phone dynamically adjusts how it connects to maintain optimal speed. 5g in the uk mostly uses 4g for control and connections but 5g for sending the actual data.
In America, there was a time where iphones got an update where they'd say 4g was actually 5g. But in terms of right now and the uk, your phone doesn't lie as long as you know the 5g icon has a solid and hollow version
Everything I explained can be seen in an android debug menu
Also don't mind the cheeky satalite test mode at the bottom. Extra proof the s25 has satalite hardware
To add to this, most 5g towers are "new radio non standalone". Meaning 5g non standalone. Meaning its using the communication and control systems of 4g, but sending data using 5g. This gives 5g speeds but not the enhanced security or optimisation that the full 5g protocol offers. This is mostly because NR NSA is kinda just bolting 5g speeds to a 4g tower so its way easier.
Some towers in the uk are getting NR SA or standalone. This is the full 5g protocol and data rate, though your phone will still swap to 4g if 5g signal isn't good enough to offer fast speeds. (As I explained by the icon described earlier).
5g also has multiple modes regardless if its in standalone or non standalone mode. The main ones in the uk being low and high frequency. Main point is high frequency is fast but has bad range, low frequency is decent with long range. There are other modes like 5g advanced which I believe is the same as carrier aggregation (multiple cell towers sending you data so faster speeds) and mmwave which is only on american model phones and honestly isn't useful in real life
Tldr, cell providers never trick you with fake 5g thats actually 4g, your phone dynamically adjusts how it connects to maintain optimal speed. 5g in the uk mostly uses 4g for control and connections but 5g for sending the actual data.
In America, there was a time where iphones got an update where they'd say 4g was actually 5g. But in terms of right now and the uk, your phone doesn't lie as long as you know the 5g icon has a solid and hollow version
Everything I explained can be seen in an android debug menu
Also don't mind the cheeky satalite test mode at the bottom. Extra proof the s25 has satalite hardware
