It’s 2018, and suddenly the talks about 5G have started gaining momentum. We’re hearing about smartphones coming with 5G support very frequently now. But are any of those smartphones really coming this year?
Maybe yes, maybe no. It’s not clear as of now. But one thing is clear – that next year is certainly gonna be the year of 5G smartphones. And here we’re going to tell you why. But before we dive into that, let’s take a quick look on what 5G can offer:
What is 5G all about and what it can offer?
5G aims to bring broadband like speeds and connectivity to mobile networks. Qualcomm has been championing it for a reason, and that is because it can do away with the need of having to connect with public Wi-Fi networks for large downloads. In 5G speed tests devices have demonstrated speeds of up to 1Gbps. That kind of speed and connectivity can provide the ground for rise of various new technologies, which include but are not limited to:
- Virtual reality (VR)
- Augmented reality (AR)
- Extended reality (XR)
- Always-on PCs
And that’s not all – 5G can also provide unparalleled experience in video calling, 360-degree video streaming and instant cloud connectivity.
Which phones will have it?
It’s expected that almost all major flagships of next year will come with support for this upcoming mobile network. In a nutshell, the devices that exist only in theory as of now: Google Pixel 4, LG G8, HTC U13, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and other flagships from Sony, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and Xiaomi. Apple, which usually carves its own path in the industry, will also hopefully jump on to 5G bandwagon and launch its iPhones with support for this network in 2019.
The progress so far
Considerable progress has been made by Qualcomm and smartphone makers to develop world’s first 5G capable devices. Qualcomm proudly states that it pioneered the 3G and 4G revolution, and now company has set its eyes on 5G. Recently in its ‘5G Pioneer’ initiative company partnered with Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo and ZTE to develop world’s first breed of 5G smartphones by next year. Other giants like LG, Sony and HTC have also signed the agreements to use Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem in their devices in 2019. So next year is almost definitely going to be the year of 5G smartphones.
The road ahead
However, just because 5G devices will start hitting the market next year doesn’t mean that 5G networks will also be ready by then. It’s unlikely that major mobile markets of the world will have 5G network being used in the mainstream even by the end of next year. But we’ll certainly see many people having devices capable of supporting this network in 2019, which will give a good start to the 5G journey.