Wave of new smartphones planned for launch of 5G

AS MANY as 20 smartphone makers are planning new devices for the fifth generation of mobile data technology in 2019, according to Deloitte.

The latest generation of wireless networks is expected to reach consumers in the coming months, promising faster download speeds, better connections and wider coverage.

Several brands including Samsung, Huawei and Oneplus have promised to launch “5G-ready” handsets this year. Apple is expected to hold back on launching a 5G phone until 2020.

There will be a million 5G smartphones sold in 2019 compared with 1.5bn handsets worldwide, says Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report.

It says about 25 networks are likely to go live with 5G services by the end of 2019, mostly in urban areas. 5G is to offer data speeds of between 10 or 100 times faster than 4G connections. The company estimates the cost for components on each 5G phone would be about $40$50 (£31-£39) more expen- sive than 4G counterparts.

That cost will almost cer- tainly be multiplied when passed on to consumers.

The market for 5G “fixed wireless access” – which supplies internet to homes wirelessly without cables – is also expected to pick up, although these connections are most common in the US and Canada.

Only 5pc of UK homes use mobile-only data.

By 2025, the report said only one in seven mobile connections would be using the latest technology.