Sprint announced its partnership with LG Electronics to sell the first 5G smartphone in the US in the first half of 2019.
Sprint said it will launch the country’s first mobile 5G network in the first half of next year. LG will announce device specifications and exact timing later.
“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to putting a beautifully-designed 5G smartphone in our customer’s hands,” John Saw, chief technology officer of Sprint said in a statement.
Analyst reports earlier suggested that smartphone makers will be offering 5G smartphones at exorbitant prices in the initial phase of 5G launches.
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics has confirmed its upcoming Galaxy S10 smartphone will not be the company’s first 5G device.
Sprint last week said it will introduce Galaxy Note9, a smartphone that supports 4G LTE, offering 50 percent off across Sprint retail channels on August 24.
Sprint CTO said its 5G customers will experience the shift from 4G to 5G with full-length HD movie downloads in seconds instead of minutes. Graphic-heavy videos and high speed games will play without delays, hiccups or lag-time.
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. will receive Sprint’s 5G mobile network.
Massive MIMO technology is a key part of Sprint’s 5G strategy. Sprint’s 5G-ready Massive MIMO cell sites are capable of delivering up to 10 times the capacity of current LTE systems, significantly increasing data speeds for more customers in high-traffic locations.
Sprint said it aims to meet wireless customers’ demand for unlimited data and high-bandwidth applications, such as television in high definition and virtual reality, by making investment in Massive MIMO that will power Sprint’s Gigabit LTE and 5G service.
Incidentally, Sprint is considering a $26 billion merger with rival T-Mobile US as part of its strategy to win in the 5G space. The combined Sprint-TMobile will be able to compete with AT&T and Verizon.
