Shortly after Verizon announced its plans to launch a Samsung 5G-ready smartphone in 2019, ATT also joined the club today, with the major carriers in the U.S. pledging support for the Korean giant. It certainly looks like Verizon and ATT subscribers are going to be upgrading their devices in droves to experience the latest 5G standard. However, the hardware that Samsung is expected to use in its mobile phones will most likely be different compared to the models it sells globally.
Samsung Will Most Likely Rely on Qualcomm for Its Snapdragon X50 5G Modems to Increase Adoption of the Next-Generation Standard
David Christopher, President of ATT Mobility and Entertainment stated the following regarding the announcement
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“5G is going to be about more than just a network. Customers will eventually be able to connect in near real-time to unforeseen possibilities. Together with Samsung, we plan to bring the best in technology and innovation to our customers. The future we imagine with 5G is just beginning, and it is a great time to be a consumer.”
Samsung will probably rely on Qualcomm for its Snapdragon 855 chipset, who’s details were leaked prior to the imminent announcement. If you need to be reminded, the Korean giant also announced its Exynos Modem 5100, which will be compatible with 5G networks when it is found in mobile devices starting 2019. Unfortunately, this silicon will be running in smartphones sold outside of the U.S.
According to details of the announcement, ATT states they have installed the latest mobile 5G network equipment in 12 markets which include Jacksonville, Fla., Louisville, Ky., Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., San Antonio and Waco, Texas, Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C. Dallas, Houston, and Indianapolis, where they plan to make the service available.
While this should be exciting for a lot of people, industry experts have stated that while 5G connectivity is the way forward, smartphone owners upgrading their devices next year should not expect blazing-fast speeds immediately. This is because the necessary equipment and infrastructure are still being rolled out in other areas. The same experts say that by 2020, a large part of the globe will provide support for the standard.
If you want to check out our other coverage related to 5G connectivity and Samsung, be sure to see the following:
- Samsung Preparing to Invest a Mammoth $22 Billion for Proliferation of 5G and AI
- Samsung Galaxy S10 X Model Shows up in Specs Leak – Reveals 5G Modem, Along With a Whopping 12GB RAM
- Samsung Reportedly Going to Launch Four Galaxy S10 Models, With the Largest One Getting Support for 5G
Sources: ATamp
