Samsung, Verizon team up to bring first commercial 5G smartphone early 2019


Verizon and Samsung announced that they will bring the first commercial 5G smartphone to the market in the first half of 2019. The companies will unveil a proof of concept, 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, at the annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit later this week.

This is the result of years of collaboration to deploy an end-to-end solution for commercial 5G services using Samsung network equipment and personal devices. 5G mobility service will provide massive bandwidth, greater opportunities for connectivity and improved network reliability.

Verizon launched the world’s first commercial 5G service in October when 5G Home went live in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. Verizon says that its 5G mobility service will go live in early 2019 and expand rapidly. Once it is made available, Samsung 5G smartphone users will immediately benefit from the speed and capacity of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. Samsung has been an active contributor, with Verizon, to develop standards that make 5G deployment possible and was the first company to earn FCC approval for its 5G commercial products.

Brian Higgins, vice president, wireless device and product marketing at Verizon said:

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. 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.

Justin Denison, senior vice president, Mobile Product Strategy and Marketing at Samsung Electronics America said:

Samsung offers end-to-end solutions that are accelerating the wide-scale adoption of 5G and help us realize our vision of a truly connected living. 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.

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