[ad_1]
TOKYO / BARCELONA, Spain – Xiaomi and ZTE have announced plans to roll out fifth-generation wireless-enabled smartphones by the end of the year, highlighting Chinese smartphone manufacturers' ambitions to quickly take the lead in the next wave of handsets.
Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Mix 3 5G, which upgrades the existing Mi Mix 3 with Qualcomm's compatible 5G processor and modem, in anticipation of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which kicked off Monday. The model is expected to hit the market by May in some markets, with a starting price of 599 euros ($ 680), making it one of the most affordable and oldest 5G phone models to date. .
On Monday, the Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer ZTE unveiled its first 5G-compatible smartphone, Axon10 Pro, which is expected to go on sale during the first half in Europe and China. The company did not reveal a price tag for the device.
ZTE also announced that it is conducting 5G trials with some 30 telecom companies in Europe and elsewhere. Xu Feng, CEO of the company's mobile device division, said it would "increase partnerships around the world" and speed up 5G's readiness for commercialization.
The announcements follow in the footsteps of the Chinese company Huawei Technologies, which unveiled the foldable handset Mate X compatible 5G February 24. Huawei said the model would be sold at a price of 2,299 euros and would be available from June this year.
South Korean company Samsung Electronics has also announced the release of new compatible 5G smartphones later this year. His LG Electronics counterpart has announced his 5G compatible V50 ThinQ smartphone in Barcelona, as well as a casing with a screen that allows the device to function as a foldable phone, but the company does not have a smartphone. has not given a release date.
The next generation of 5G capabilities is expected to enable faster data transmission and reduced latency, features that will be critical for advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and surgery. Durga Malladi, senior vice president of Qualcomm, said that he expected smartphones to launch a "big momentum for growth" in the adoption of 5G technology from here. next year.
Skeptics say however that cases of using 5G in smartphones remain unclear.
"People can watch movies and play games with no problem with today's 4G networks," said Hiroshi Hayase, senior director at IHS Markit.
Aggressive deployment plans come as handset manufacturers try to reorganize demand in a context of poor sales. Global smartphone shipments in 2018 were down 4.1% from the previous year, to settle at 1.4 billion units, according to the International Research firm Data Corporation.
The first launches mean that 5G compatible smartphones will be available before network installation in most countries.
South Korea wants to become the first country to offer a mobile smartphone-accessible 5G mobile network, with major mobile operators preparing for deployment in March. In the United States, Sprint plans to launch the country's first 5G commercial services in May in four cities. But for most markets, including China, nationwide commercial rollout is not expected before next year.
Takashi Kawakami, writer of the Nikkei in Barcelona, contributed to this story
[ad_2]
Source link