At the MWC, OnePlus presented the prototype of a 5G smartphone. The device is far from ready for the market. However, it shows impressively which path the manufacturer intends to take in the future. The possibilities offered by 5G are also impressively highlighted by the model.
OnePlus travelled to this year’s MWC in Barcelona without a new smartphone in its luggage. At least as exciting as the many new mobile phones presented there, however, is the prototype that OnePlus shows instead. The smartphone, packaged in a protective case, becomes a minor matter and fades into the shadow of the actual main actor of the OnePlus presentation: the mobile transmission standard 5G.
Pete Lau, CEO and co-founder of OnePlus, euphorically described the standard as a “game changer” and said it could change anything. The prototype of the 5G smartphone was presented with corresponding enthusiasm. According to the manufacturer’s press release, it is “a futuristic environment” that enables 5G cloud gaming. Gamers could profit above all from significantly reduced latency periods. In addition, the enormously high transmission rates should have a positive effect.
The device was also presented together with Qualcomm. The chip manufacturer supplies its “Snapdragon 855” processor, which can be found not only in the OnePlus prototype, but also in various other smartphones presented at the MWC.
Whether and when the device will actually be launched on the market is not yet clear. OnePlus also remains silent about the planned equipment apart from 5G compatibility and the processor. It is clear that not only the smartphone manufacturer, but also the network operators must be convinced of the 5G standard. This standard is not established in Germany. A 5G test is currently underway in Berlin and the 5G licences are to be auctioned off to the network operators next month.
So it will be some time before gamers and other 5G profiteers can enjoy a 5G smartphone. OnePlus has already confirmed that the prototype is not the forthcoming “OnePlus 7” model.
