In the near future, more smartphones will be capable of 5G connectivity.
Qualcomm announced that it's bringing its 5G technology to its midrange Snapdragon 7 Series and 6 Series, which has typically been exclusive to mobile devices powered by its top-of-the-line 8 Series chipsets.
5G For All
At IFA 2019, the company outlined its plans to expand the fifth-generation cellular network technology to its midtier chips sometime in 2020.
It says its next-generation chips will have 5G integrated into an SoC or System-on-Chip. That means midrange smartphones equipped with a processor from the Snapdragon 600 or 700 line — as well as handsets with a processor from the Snapdragon 800 line, for that matter — will support 5G by default soon.
Usually, only high-end phones have 5G capability since they typically house a Snapdragon 855 or 855 Plus, two of which are compatible with the Snapdragon X50 or X55 modem, a necessary separate component to use 5G bands.
According to Qualcomm, 12 smartphone brands already have plans to use the Snapdragon 7 Series 5G mobile platform for their phones. These include LG, Motorola, Nokia, Oppo, Realme, Redmi, and Vivo.
Today's 5G Phones
Among the current brood, 5G-capable smartphones that come to mind are from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus, and Huawei.
Case in point, Samsung has the Galaxy S10 Plus 5G, Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, and a 5G version of the Galaxy Fold. Huawei has the foldable Mate X and the Mate 20 X 5G. Meanwhile, OnePlus has the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.
Other handsets that fit the bill include the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, and the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G, which was released only in the European market.
It's also worth mentioning that Samsung already unwrapped a midrange smartphone capable of 5G connectivity. Called the Galaxy A90, the device sports a Snapdragon 855, which makes it on par with flagships. What makes it a midtier device, though, is its price — or at least, that's how it's being touted as.
