Verizon, Samsung to release 5G smartphones in US in 2019
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg weighs in on the new NAFTA deal and the benefits of the company's 5G internet service.
(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Monday they plan to release 5G smartphones in the first half of 2019 in the United States.
The news comes after Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Apple Inc is planning to wait until at least 2020 to release its 5G iPhones.
Apple's delay makes it easier for Samsung and Verizon to win customers who are eager to connect to 5G networks, which will provide a leap forward in mobile data speeds when they are introduced in 2019.
5G can offer data speeds up to 50 or 100 times faster than current 4G networks.
Verizon partnered with Samsung to launched its first commercial 5G service in October in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Samsung has received FCC approval for its 5G commercial products.
(Reporting by Sayanti Chakraborty in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)