Huawei launches first 5G smartphone in China
Huawei Technologies released its 5G version of Mate 20X on Friday, the company’s first 5G smartphone to be sold in China.
It’s also the first 5G smartphone available from the top five brands in the domestic market. The debut of commercial 5G phones marks the real start of 5G among consumers in the the world’s No. 1 mobile market, analysts said.
The Mate 20X, which features dual SIM card support, a 40-mega-pixel camera, 7.2-inch screen and 256 gigabytes of storage, costs 6,199 yuan (US$912). It can be preordered now for delivery from August 16, according to Huawei.
China officially approved 5G commercial services in June, and is currently testing 5G across all the country's major cities and provincial regions.
Previously analysts had said that the first 5G models would be available around the end of the year and at prices ranging from 8,000 yuan to 12,000 yuan.
Generally speaking, 5G offers lower latency and higher speed than current 4G networks, often 20 to 50 times faster.
Meanwhile, Huawei has launched 5G CPE Pro, a device which can turn 4G and 5G signals into Wi-Fi. It helps consumers to use 5G even without a 5G smartphone.