Sprint has announced plans to debut a mobile 5G smart hub during the first half of 2019, but the carrier did not provide much else in terms of detail.
Created alongside partners HTC and Qualcomm, the “hub” will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem and include Gigabit LTE and 5G capabilities. The device name, specifications and timing of launch have not been released.
Sprint says the smart hub will “deliver multimedia and connected data capabilities in a compact and portable design.” The device could be a simple mobile hotspot, but is still unclear given the lack of details.
“We’re excited to continue building our 5G device portfolio and announce another way our customers can be among the first to experience Sprint 5G next year,” said Sprint CTO John Saw in a statement. “This innovative product will allow customers on the go, at work or at home to enjoy Sprint 5G on multiple devices with incredibly fast connectivity for content sharing, mobile gaming, entertainment and so much more.”
Sprint previously announced working with LG on a 5G smartphone, also slated to launch during the first half of 2019.
During that timeframe, the carrier has committed to rolling out its mobile 5G network in nine cities. Sprint will leverage its large spectrum holdings in the 2.5 GHz band and has been vocal about using Massive MIMO technology to increase its LTE Advanced network capacity before deploying a software upgrade to support 5G.
In late October, AT&T revealed its first standards-based 5G mobile device, the Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot. The hotspot also is powered by Qualcomm’s X50 modem.
