Mobile carriers in major markets such as North America are working hard to roll out their 5G networks by next year at the very least in select markets. Users won’t be able to take full advantage of this high-speed network if they don’t have compatible devices. That’s why we can expect to see 5G smartphones being launched in the not too distant future as well. Huawei, one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile manufacturers, has said that it’s going to release a 5G smartphone by the second half of next year.
Huawei has pledged to release its 5G-compatible smartphone by the second half of next year at its annual global analyst summit today in Shenzhen, southeastern China.
5G smartphones will obviously require a 5G modem and while suppliers such as Samsung are developing their next-generation modems, Huawei has said that its device will feature its own 5G modem.
The launch timeframe suggests that Huawei might launch a Mate-branded device as its first with a 5G cellular modem. Huawei’s first 5G modem, called the Balong 5G01, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 in January. It has been initially deployed in devices other than smartphones due to the chip’s power requirements but can expect the company to make significant improvements to its 5G modem before it starts shipping smartphones with it.