5G is one of the biggest buzzwords in technology nowadays. Every tech company wants a piece of it and is trying to offer compatible devices of various kinds. We saw some 5G smartphones last year, like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G or LG V50 ThinQ 5G. What these phones have in common is that both of them are available on the Verizon network. This particular carrier is one of the few that use the millimeter-wave spectrum to get the full potential of 5G. Verizon launched five devices that support 5G in 2019 and this year they are aiming bigger.
At CES 2020, which is currently underway, Verizon uncovered its plan to release 20 5G devices this year. In the first half of 2020, we’ll see 5G phones from Verizon priced around $800. Though, in the second half of the year, Verizon will also launch 5G smartphones priced under $600. I think every one of us can get behind the trend of making 5G more affordable and available for everyone. Most of the 5G smartphones from 2019 were flagship-priced, but we’re now seeing a number of 5G phones become significantly cheaper.
According to Ronan Dunne, head of the Verizon Consumer Group, the company is also planning to start using Dynamic Spectrum Sharing technology to expand the coverage of the 5G network. The DSS technology will allow Verizon to allocate 4G and 5G connections to a single spectrum. That way, 5G will be available on more bands than mmWave and the company won’t have to develop a new spectrum exclusively for 5G. DSS will launch in the second half of 2020.
Source: CNET