Qualcomm has signed new agreements with Chinese smartphone makers to cooperate on 5G development. At its China Tech Day in Beijing, the company also announced commitments from Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and Lenovo to buy USD 2 billion in RF components from Qualcomm over the next three years.
The '5G Pioneer' agreement signed with the four phonemakers as well as ZTE and Wingtech aims to introduce the first 5G New Radio standard-compliant commercial devices in 2019. The companies agreed to work together to accelerate the launch of premium-tier 5G devices already next year.
Chinese mobile users are showing unprecedented interest in 5G, Qualcomm said. A survey by the company found that 60 percent of Chinese consumers are likely to purchase 5G smartphones when available.
The chipmaker outlined its plans for 5G development at the event with customers. Qualcomm Technologies shared information surrounding its upcoming 5G Tunable RF front-end. The 5G Tunable RF front-end is designed to enable OEMs to differentiate their 5G products with thinner design, higher performing system-level expertise and 5G product readiness, the vendor said.
