The Mobile World Congress is the center of all trending mobile announcements, in line with hardware, software, and the like. It is not a surprise then that 5G phones are as well a huge topic at the Congress, given the anticipation around their existence and launch.
From delivering faster speeds, a lower latency, increased download speeds, and being a foundation for technologies like the internet of things – everyone is doing something to have a piece of the next generation of wireless connectivity.
Smartphone and processor chip manufacturers are keen to ensure that the 5G technology is in place by the end of this year, and the announcements made so far at MWC 2019 prove so. Let’s take a look at them.
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung, at the Galaxy Unpacked event, launched the S10 5G smartphone in line with this year’s S series. It sports a 6.7-inch screen, two cameras on the front plus four on the back, a 4500mAh battery coming with 256GB of storage and 8GB RAM.
Samsung says the device will be available in the second quarter of this year, and the company also plans to release a 5G version of its foldable Galaxy Fold.
Huawei Mate X
Huawei’s Mate X is the company’s foldable phone yet newly launched 5G-enabled device. It can be a 6.6-inch smartphone when folded, or an 8-inch tablet unfolded, and it uses Huawei’s own 5G chipset, called the Balong 5000.
The Mate X is likely to be available in mid 2019, with a calling price starting at $2,600.
LG V50 ThinQ
The LG V50 is a dual screen device that has a 6.4-inch notched display with a 3120×1440 resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, all added to a second 6.2-inch OLED screen display – a combination which makes an almost foldable phone.
The phone runs on a Snapdragon 855 SoC, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a 4000mAh battery. It is designed for 5G, with inbuilt mmWave capability courtesy of the Qualcomm X50 modem.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
Xiaomi previously launched the Mi MIX 3 in October 2018, but unveiled a new Mi MIX 3 5G option at the MWC 2019.
Likely to be the cheapest 5G smartphone on the market, the Mi MIX 3 5G has a 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, and is likely to feature a 6 GB RAM with 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage variants.
The Mi MIX 3 5G will be market ready from May 2019 with a starter price of $680.
ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G
ZTE is also testing out the 5G waters, to make an impact in the market like the rest. At the MWC, the company unveiled two smartphones – with the highlight being the Axon 10 Pro that is 5G powered.
The Axon 10 Pro features a 6.47-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch and curved glass on the sides. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, in the sidelines of the Snapdragon X50 5G modem, running on a 4000 mAh battery.
Other 5G Prototype
Oppo as well made an announcement at the MWC 2019, stating that it will market its first 5G device this year. The phone, without a name yet, will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset and X50 modem to latch onto 5G networks.
Sony and OnePlus also displayed their 5G prototypes, with launches and specifications coming in later in the year.
