Qualcomm, Xiaomi, ZTE, Lenovo and others partner to bring 5G NR-compliant devices to market in 2019
China is a major market for mobile devices services and that the market opportunity for the next generation of mobile has led to the creation of a multi-company consortium, the so-called 5G Pioneer group, dedicated to bringing devices compliant with the 5G New Radio (NR) specification, due out of 3GPP in June, to market in 2019.
Announced during the Qualcomm China Tech Day, the group includes Qualcomm, a major contributor to the 5G NR spec as well as creator of standard-essential technology, Lenovo, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, ZTE and Wingtech. In addition to building new devices, the group will also look into opportunities around artificial intelligence and the internet of things for both consumer and enterprise/industrial users.
“5G will bring massive new opportunities to the mobile industry, and we are excited to work with these manufacturers on this 5G Pioneer Initiative,” Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated, said, adding that the company has “close relationships within China’s mobile and semiconductor ecosystem, and we’ll continue to work with this ecosystem to drive innovation as we move from the 3G/4G era to the 5G era.”
According to market research conducted by Qualcomm, 60% of consumers in China “are likely to purchase 5G smartphones when available.” Given the vast number of consumers, as well as the domestic base of device OEMs, this presents a huge economic opportunity and revenue source.
Commentary from leaders of the Chinese device manufacturers centered on driving innovation around 5G and addressing the market opportunity in a timely manner that’s consistent with the ongoing specification work.
Xiaomi President Bin Lin, noting the company has used Qualcomm’s platforms for previous generations of smartphones, said, “We will keep exploring and innovating on future technologies, insist on building high-quality smartphones for users worldwide and deliver…products to users in a broader range of regions.”
Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang said the company’s goal is to “make our personal life and work smarter, and enable intelligent transformation across multiple industries through our concerted efforts.”
