AT&T, Samsung Align to Bring 5G Smartphone to US in the First Half of 2019

AT&T is planning to grow its mobile 5G device lineup with the introduction of 5G smartphone from Samsung in the first half of 2019.

This 5G smartphone will be given to customers on a compatible plan access to the 5G network it plans to introduce before the end of 2018. This is the second mobile 5G device that AT&T has announced.

“5G is going to be about more than just a network. Customers will eventually be able to connect in near real-time to unforeseen possibilities,” said David Christopher, president of AT&T Mobility and Entertainment. “Together with Samsung, we plan to bring the best in technology and innovation to our customers. The future we imagine with 5G is just beginning, and it is a great time to be a consumer.”

Additionally, it is working with Samsung to create America’s first manufacturing-focused 5G Innovation Zone. The goal of the testbed is to use 5G to enable new and exciting robotic manufacturing capabilities to better understand the impact of 5G on smart factories. It expects that future smart factories will be filled with 5G-connected sensors that can channel real-time information about equipment performance, ranging from vibration to noise data.

As of today’s announcement, AT&T has installed the latest mobile 5G network equipment in areas in the 12 markets where it plans to make 5G available in 2018. The company is also on track to offer the world’s first mmWave mobile 5G device this month.

Cities where AT&T plans to make standards-based mobile 5G service available this year include Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C. Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Louisville, Ky., Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., San Antonio and Waco, Texas. The company plans to expand service in the first half of 2019 to parts of 7 additional cities, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, Calif.

In September, AT&T selected Samsung as one of its technology suppliers to help AT&T build its mobile, 5G network.