OnePlus Will Launch One of the First 5G Phones Next Year

BY Evan Selleck

Published 23 Oct 2018

While the wireless carriers in the United States continue to tout their 5G network rollout plans, the other part of the equation is devices that can support the technology. And OnePlus is ready to jump on that bandwagon.

OnePlus CEO Carl Pei recently stood on stage at a Qualcomm event to talk about what’s coming down the line. Qualcomm had just confirmed that a pair of 5G flagship smartphones would arrive on market in 2019, and then Pei took the stage, all but confirming that the OnePlus brand would be pushing that envelope forward.

And indeed, Pei has announced that OnePlus will be releasing one of, if not the first 5G smartphone in 2019. OnePlus has been testing devices already, and has concluded its recent tests at Qualcomm’s headquarters in San Diego, California, back in August of this year.

That’s about all we know at this point. OnePlus’s first 5G phone will likely be a flagship handset, considering that’s all OnePlus focuses on these days. Whether or not it’s the flagship handset that launches in the first half of 2019 or the second half remains to be seen, though. With so many companies likely vying for that 5G attention, though, if OnePlus can swing it we should probably expect their first with the wireless technology support to land sometime early next year.

5G smartphones are going to be all the rage next year, at least for some smartphone manufacturers. Of course, this is going to be one of those times where waiting isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially since 5G network coverage isn’t going to be as readily available as 4G LTE already is.

Still, it’s exciting to look ahead at what’s next and seeing these companies ready to adopt future tech.

[via Engadget]