We could see first 5G Nokia smartphones next year

Qualcomm officially announced that its Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem family has been selected by a number of phone manufacturers for product launches starting next year.

Qualcomm’s 5G modem will be adopted by Asus, Fujitsu, HTC, Inseego/Novatel Wireless, LG, NetComm Wireless, NETGEAR, OPPO, Sharp Corporation, Sierra Wireless, Sony Mobile, Telit, vivo, Wingtech, WNC, Xiaomi, ZTE and, of course, HMD Global – The Home of Nokia devices.

About the benefits of 5G we have written a lot here at NokiaMob, mainly because Nokia Corporation is the leader in 5G infrastructure. Just yesterday Nokia announced that in partnership with Qualcomm, the company finished 5G laboratory tests, using commercially available AirScale radio antennas and test devices coming from Qualcomm, probably equipped with a X50 NR modem.

The first devices featuring Qualcomm’s 5G modem will appear next year. Considering that HMD plans to be a serious competitor in mobile space, I expect to see a 5G-ready Nokia device in 2019, too. HMD’s CPO Juho Sarvikas said this about Qualcomm’s announcement: “Nokia phones have always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to mobility. 5G will be the catalyst for the introduction of innovative data devices and services in the coming years,” adding that the close relationship with Qualcomm will deliver richer smartphone experiences to Nokia customers.

It’s important to note, that not one of the above mentioned companies announced that they will bring a 5G-ready smartphone to the market next year. Some could, and I think most companies will, but there is always a possibility that a company postpones its device. Hopefully, everything will run smoothly at HMD. 🙂

Are you excited for 5G phones? Tell us why down below. 🙂

Thanks Viccky for the tip.

Source: Qualcomm