Verizon and Samsung will launch their first commercial 5G smartphones in the first half of 2019. Verizon has previously disclosed plans for its 5G mobility service to live in early 2019 and expand rapidly. It already has a fixed 5G residential service in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Qualcomm is hosting its annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui this week where a prototype will be unveiled. The unit will be powered by the upcoming flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon Mobile Platform with the Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements.
“5G will usher in a new era of mobile connectivity, allowing people to connect to data, experiences and other people in ways never thought possible,” said Brian Higgins, vice president, wireless device and product marketing at Verizon. “Together, Samsung and Verizon have made huge gains in bringing 5G commercial services to consumers in several cities. Now, we’re partnering to create a smartphone to put the power of 5G in the palm of your hand.”
“Samsung offers end-to-end solutions that are accelerating the wide scale adoption of 5G and help us realize our vision of truly connected living,” said Justin Denison, senior vice president, Mobile Product Strategy and Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “We’re proud to work alongside innovative partners like Verizon and Qualcomm Technologies to deliver a smartphone that will fundamentally transform how people work and play.”