LG in partnership with Sprint is set to make a new 5G smartphone, with a new handset expected to debut in 2019.
The move follows Verizon’s announcement of its first 5G-compatible phone, the Moto Z3, which went on sale this month.
According to Sprint, the 5G phone and service will be available, in the first half of 2019.
Dr. John Saw, chief technology officer at Sprint, said, LG has done tremendous work developing technical designs that enable them to be among the first movers in mobile 5G.
“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to putting a beautifully-designed advanced 5G smartphone in our customer’s hands,” he said.
Speaking to PC Mag, John Tudhope, Sprint’s director of product marketing, didn’t confirm the exact hardware.
Although LG is best known for its Android devices it seems likely that the Sprint LG 5G handset will run Google’s OS.
However, he indicated that the carrier’s 5G device would be a lot more streamlined than what Verizon is promoting.
“We have a final hardware design that we’re pretty excited about,” Tudhope explained.
“It is 100 percent a truly integrated smartphone that we think will be the first of its kind. It is a really elegant, high-end premium look-and-feel phone … not much thicker than a normal high-end premium smartphone, and will have the appropriate battery to account for the power needs,” he added.
Unlike Verizon’s Motorola Moto Z3, which will rely on a 5G Moto Mod in order to upgrade it with 5G support next year, Sprint’s smartphone will have compatibility with next-generation networks baked in from the start.
By:StephanieHorsu/techvoiceafrica.com
