Lenovo says it'll be the first to launch a 5G smartphone

Lenovo says it will be the first smartphone manufacturer to launch a 5G smartphone, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset.

A VP for the firm, Chang Cheng, took to Chinese social media site Weibo to reveal the plans. 

No other detail about the handset was provided and Lenovo will have stiff competition from a number of rivals as they all try and push their 5G devices out towards the end of this year and into 2019.

December at the earliest?

The likelihood is though we won't see this device before December. That's because the Snapdragon 855 - that's said to be powering the handset - hasn't been officially launched yet.

Qualcomm is hosting its Snapdragon Summit during the first week of December where we expect the chip to be revealed. 

This would be earliest the phone would realistically be announced, and if Lenovo leaves it any later then it would be in danger of missing out on the world first. 

While 5G capabilities are likely to be heavily touted in smartphones launched from December onwards, it's unlikely you'll be able to take advantage of the new network generation right away. 

It will take carriers and those in charge of the mobile infrastructure a little while to get their services up and running, so initially 5G will be a future-proofing feature rather than something for the here and now. 

Via PhoneArena & MySmartPrice

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.