Which Smartphone Makers Are Adopting 5G Technology In 2019?

All Android smartphone makers are going to release 5G-ready mobile devices next year, according to Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon.

At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii this past Tuesday, Amon disclosed to CNET in an interview that all Android vendors are expected to launch flagship devices with 5G support by the end of 2019.

“When we get to exactly this time of year one year from now we will see every [handset maker] on the Android ecosystem, their flagship across all U.S. carriers will be a 5G device,” Amon said. “Every Android vendor is working on 5G right now.”

It’s no secret that Samsung Electronics, the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world, is already preparing to launch its first 5G-capable smartphone next year. Verizon even announced on Monday that it is working with the South Korean brand to bring the first commercial 5G smartphone to the American market in the first half of 2019.

Meanwhile, Huawei revealed in September that its highly anticipated foldable smartphone is debuting with 5G capability next year, as per 5G.co.uk. The Chinese manufacturer didn’t give any hints on the device’s release period, but it’s expected to happen within the first half.

Samsung’s crosstown rival, LG Electronics, has also confirmed that it’s working on its first 5G smartphone. The device is poised to launch in the U.S. through Sprint in the first half, as well.

During Amon’s keynote this week, a list of the companies partnering with Qualcomm on the 5G rollout initiative was presented. The list, which was spotted by AppleInsider, revealed that Google, Sony, HTC, Motorola, OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Asus, Fujitsu and Sharp are also developing 5G-ready devices.

The year 2019 is expected to usher the 5G era of mobile communications. Unfortunately, Apple is not jumping on the bandwagon and it has even decided to hold off on offering a 5G-capable iPhone until 2020.

The Cupertino giant is delaying its adoption of the next-generation network technology to avoid problems, like spotty coverage, that could arise during the initial phase of deployment of 5G networks.

“Apple has always been a laggard in cellular technology,” Gartner Inc. analyst Mark Hung told Bloomberg early this week. “They weren’t impacted in the past, but 5G is going to be much easier to market. But if they wait beyond 2020, then I think they’ll be impacted.”