MWC18 Showed 5G is a reality

 In the 2018 edition of the Mobile World Congress, 5G was indeed a protagonist. Last year, this technology was more of a futuristic theory, but now is more tangible than ever, since it’s expected to be launched in full in 2019 by more than one company.

 This year in Barcelona several firms were showing off their 5G strategies and live demos of their modems and other techs in action. Qualcomm had the most impressive demo, with a prototype smartphone connected to an actual 5G mmWave tower performing transfers with throughput over 4 gigabits per second. The technology is right on track for smartphone integration in 2019.

 Intel and Huawei were also showing off hardware prototypes. Intel had a weird tablet capable of streaming a not particularly intensive 4K video over 5G, while Huawei presented modem technology that -however- wasn’t at the same compact level as Qualcomm.

 Carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile also announced plans to bring 5G to their customers. In available markets, AT&T subscribers will be able to get a WiFi hotspot that makes use of the network, with supported phones and tablets to follow in mid-2019.

 T-Mobile's plans are mostly long-term, and rather than just devoting its current attention to millimeter wave, it's also hoping that its new 600MHz spectrum can be upgraded/rolled out as 5G. Like AT&T, it expects phones to arrive in 2019.

 Smartphone launches

 Samsung Galaxy S9: The Korean company announced its latest phone:Samsung Galaxy S9. The device sports the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, along with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Perhaps the most important new feature is the camera, which is among the first on a phone to feature a variable aperture.

 Alcatel: The Company unveiled the new Alcatel 5 Series, which is aimed at offering some premium smartphone features at a relatively good price. 

 Sony: The firm launched the new Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact, featuring an all-new design style. Sony also launched its ear-buds that are -surely- the most original product we saw from this manufacturer. They allow the user to listen to music without losing contact with the surroundings, but moreover they are controlled through head movements.

 Nokia: This year we saw a range of new Nokia phones, from the beautiful flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco to the so-called “Banana Phone”, the Nokia 8110. There are a total of five new Nokia models in all price ranges, but the Nokia 8 Sirocco undoubtedly stole the show thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 6GB of RAM.

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