Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem is being launched by Xiaomi and whole hoard of companies

5G is here

Worried that you won’t have a 5G compatible phone by the time 5G gets launched? Qualcomm has solved that problem for you. 

Their new modem has allowed for partnerships with companies like Asus, Fujitsu Limited, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and others to make sure that your phone can use 5G by the time carriers bring it to the market. 

The pressure of implementing 5G across the spectrum by 2019 has been stressful for mobile carries in India. The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are aiming to commercialise 5G devices for the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum starting in 2019.

Why the hype around 5G

It’s not just about having faster speeds on your phone but about the quality of connectivity. No longer will you have to wander around looking for public Wi-Fi just to get clarity on your video call or download something from the cloud. It will even enable the use of always-on PCs. 

Ensuring multi-gigabit per-second data transfer rates with lower latency makes it critical for virtural reality (VR)  and augmented reality (AR).

Here’s a full list of the OEMs that have partnered up with Qualcomm:

  • ASUS
  • Fujitsu
  • HMD (Nokia)
  • HTC
  • inseego
  • LG
  • NetComm
  • Netgear
  • OPPO
  • Sharp
  • Sierra Wireless
  • Sony
  • Telit
  • Vivo
  • WNC
  • Wingtec
  • Xiaomi
  • ZTE

But here’s the thing. Even though 5G will be available on phones by 2019, 5G itself won’t be available in India till 2022. 

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Prabhjote Gill is the Senior Journalist at Business Insider India. She covering everything space, tech and defence at Business Insider India. She is also in-charge of allocating stories to junior writers.