The popular Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus recently announced that they are committing $30 million specifically to 5G development. The company wants to be the first smartphone maker to offer 5G support for their entire product lineup.
OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau spoke in a press release about the companys’ new goal. “5G is a top priority in our product strategy…We should be among the first smartphone manufacturers to have 5G support in a full product lineup,” said Lau.
It’s not unreasonable to assume that many more phone providers are going to begin similar investments into 5G. Samsung has already launched its new flagship phone series with 5G support and Apple is expected to launch their first 5G devices in the fall.
It makes sense that so many smartphone manufacturers have been waiting to launch their 5G devices. It’s only this year that major carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have actually launched their 5G networks. Those networks are growing their service area every day. As more Americans find themselves with access to a 5G network, more will decide to upgrade to a 5G-capable device.
OnePlus is ready to capitalize on that situation. They announced that they will be directing all of their R&D labs to focus on technologies like radio frequency circuits, multimedia hardware and antennas—all tech essential for 5G.
“With our commitment to R&D in our 5G labs, I’m confident that we will bring a faster and smoother user experience on 5G,” said Lau.
OnePlus is expected to unveil their next line of smartphones in April 2020, though an official date has not yet been released.
Experts expect this new launch of devices to include some budget friendly 5G-options—something that is missing from the market as a whole right now.
It will be interesting to see what this new line of devices looks like. 2020 is set to be an exciting year for all kinds of 5G devices. If you are a consumer that is interested in investing in 5G, this is going to be a great year to do that.
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