Huawei due to sell 5G chips, smartphones in 2019

Chinese communications equipment maker Huawei Technologies is expected to introduce its 5G-enabled Kirin chipsets and 5G smartphones in 2019, reports online technology publication mydrivers.com.

Yu Chengdong, consumer business CEO of Huawei, talks about the prospects of 5G technology at the Fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, December 4, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

Yu Chengdong, consumer business CEO of Huawei, announced the plan at the Fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province on Monday, December 4, 2017.

"The company will launch full-scale 5G network solutions for large-scale commercial applications next year to support operators in building 5G networks around the world," said Yu.

He added that 5G can significantly enhance consumers' mobile internet experience, allowing them to download 6GB high-definition movies within seconds. The 5G technology will also offer industrial-grade solutions.

Serge Willenegger, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm Technologies, discusses his company's 5G development at the Fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, December 3, 2017. [Photo: IC]

Huawei is not the only Chinese firm working on 5G technology. US-based Qualcomm, the world's major provider of mobile chips, announced last year that it's planning to deliver its first chips for 5G networks by 2018.

Qualcomm expects its 5G chips will be available in devices sometime in 2019, with wide-scale use expected by 2020.

Apart from Huawei and Qualcomm, smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung are also actively developing 5G technology.