5G is almost here, and everyone’s getting really excited about the possibilities. We can expect amazing performance with fast download speeds. But 5G is about more than phones. It’s designed to connect a ton more devices at faster speeds so we’ll see connectivity in more and more devices. Fast speeds also mean we can have fast reaction times. Think about cars that sense each other through their mobile connections rather than sensors. There are a ton of possibilities.
But we all know that smart cars and advanced safety systems aren’t what we really care about. We want to know about the phones. What can we expect for the next generation of 5G phones for 2019? Of course, no one has actually made any 5G compatible models yet, but we’re excited about the possibilities.
Here’s what we expect to see in the next year.
Samsung
Samsung and Verizon just announced that they are partnering up to produce one of the first 5G phones in 2019. It’s set to come out in the first half of the new year. We don’t have any details about the phones just yet. They are, however, planning to introduce a new concept phone at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology summit in Hawaii.
It’s likely that any foray into 5G technology will come with their flagship phone, the Galaxy S10. With the S10 expected to come out in February 2019, we may see 5G tech as soon as a few months from now.
Huawei
Huawei has some cool phones both their mate series and the P series. Huawei hasn’t announced which series will come out with 5G. It all depends on how the technology develops. 5G chipsets take a lot of power, and they’re too large for integration into smartphones. Walter Ji, the president of Huawei’s Western European Consumer Business Group spoke about their expected schedule.
“The size of the chipset is not small enough to be used, to be integrated in a smartphone. So if not for P30, then for sure it will be in the Mate series next September.”
Either way, Huawei is coming out with some pretty cool phones. They introduced a P30, folding phone concept that sounds groundbreaking. Look for an amazing 5G phone from them soon.
Sony
Sony has always been on the leading edge of technology. Lately, Sony has been talking up their history of innovation firsts before they announce the new phone. The Xperia Z had the best water resistance. The Xperia Z5 was the first to integrate a 4k display. They had the world’s first phone with 4K HDR recording, too. It only makes sense that Sony’s new model would be the first to market with 5G tech.
OnePlus
CEO Pete Lau announced at Mobile World Congress Shanghai that OnePlus is developing a 5G phone set to come out next year. We can expect 5G compatibility in the OnePlus 7 or the OnePlus 7T.
OnePlus has a history of making great phones. Their Oxygen OS strips away extra features and bloated software to make a snappy, responsive phone experience. We can expect a great phone with amazing features on top of 5G compatibility.
Apple
Of course, Apple won’t be left behind. We don’t have any firm announcements, but we can expect it to come. Apple has a history of introducing new technology slightly behind the leaders, but also with better results. Their consistent eye to detail means that they often wait to get the best version of the tech when it’s ready when other phone makers are having problems with coverage or bugs.
Bloomberg reports that Apple doesn’t have any plans to release a 5G phone until 2020. That shouldn’t be a problem for iPhone users, because really 5G networks won’t be up and running until then. Even if you get a brand new 5G phone in 2019, you probably won’t get those speeds for a while.
Unfortunately, so much of the news about the upcoming 5G phones is speculation, rumors, and leaks. No matter what’s coming up in the next year or two, we know that we users are going to be the real winners. So, keep an eye out for the next generation of phones and all their great features.
