We've known for a while now that 2019 was going to be a big year for 5G, but today Qualcomm has proved that with a new announcement.
Qualcomm has announced that there are more than 30 5G mobile devices set to launch in 2019, the majority of which are smartphones. These devices will be powered by Qualcomm's new flagship Snapdragon 855 processor and the Snapdragon X50 5G modem family. Devices are expected to begin arriving in early 2019.
Qualcomm went on to explain that devices powered by the Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform, which includes the Snapdragon X50 5G modem and Qualcomm RF Front End solutions, will support both sub-6 and mmWave spectrum. This should help to improve the devices' compatibility with carriers' 5G networks.
Unsurprisingly, missing from Qualcomm's announcement are the names of any of these upcoming 5G devices. We have heard rumors that Samsung is prepping a 5G version of the Galaxy S10, and it's expected that that device will be available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon this year. It's also been rumored that LG is working on a 5G device, which isn't really a surprise. With U.S. carriers planning to begin rolling out their 5G networks this year, several Android device makers will likely look to capitalize on the excitement surrounding 5G with new smartphone hardware that can jump on those new networks.
