The excitement around 5G is starting to build ahead of its 2019 arrival with the promise of faster internet speeds, improved connectivity and lower data costs, yet today we learned the technology may well become forgettable – in a good way.
Speaking at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm’s EVP for Technology, Cristiano Amon said “when everything is connected – your phone, your computer and everything else – we won’t talk about use cases, we’ll just assume the connectivity is there. 5G will make wireless connectivity similar to electricity.”
The best part about 5G is set to be what you won’t have to do. Currently you may find yourself wondering if your signal is good enough to load a webpage, upload a picture to Instagram or stream a show on Netflix from your smartphone.
It’s a problem that’s always on our minds, and changes the way we use our devices to try and mitigate them.
Forget about it
With 5G, Amon believes wireless connectivity will fade into the background and no longer be a concern to users as it’ll just work, seamlessly and simply.
You will assume connectivity is always there, in a similar way you assume electricity will always be available at the flick of a light switch or when you plug into a wall socket.
With always present connectivity in not only traditional devices such as phones, tablets and laptops, but also in wider IoT (internet of things) devices, it will allow us to work, play and live in new ways.
5G is set to launch officially in early 2019, although wider availability of the next generation data service won’t start until 2020. Even then, it will take a few years for 5G-connected devices to replace older legacy devices.
Still, if connectivity woes are something we can put to the back of our minds forever we're all for forgetting about 5G when it shows up in a couple of years.
Want to find out more about 5G? Check out our dedicated 5G hub!
- We’re reporting live from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, bringing you the latest news, features and hands on reviews on the future of smartphones, laptops, 5G and IoT. You can follow all our coverage here.
