The world’s first 5G network debuted in South Korea last month. A few weeks after, the first European 5G network was launched in Switzerland, as well as the first three 5G smartphones in the European market. But all of them are expensive flagship phones.
When will we see an affordable midrange device with 5G support in the market? According to Huawei executive Yang Chaobin, that will happen as soon as 2020. The first affordable midrange 5G phones will be available by the end of 2020, a much faster development compared to the previous generations of mobile internet.
Just like 4G networks were faster to spread than 3G networks, the overall 5G development will be even faster than 4G. In order to prove his statement, Huawei’s executive reminded everyone how the first 4G phone took about three years to hit the shelves, while the first 5G phone just needed one year. By the end of 2020, we will start seeing midrange devices with 5G connectivity and, according to Huawei’s executive, in 2021 there may even be entry-level 5G handsets.
Currently, the most affordable 5G smartphone is the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G which is priced €599 in the global market. The first and only 5G phone from Huawei that is actually available to purchase is the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, which carries a price tag of about €800. It is powered by a Kirin 980 chipset paired with a Balong 5000 5G modem which is able to reach speeds up to 6.5 Gbps thanks to mmWave.
However, getting a 5G device right now is not the wisest choice. Their prices are still too high: currently, in most cases, you have to spend about 2x times more as compared to an equivalent 4G phone. Further, 5G networks are still in its early phase and they are available only in a limited number of zones in a few countries.
(via)
