Next week, Qualcomm’s third annual Snapdragon Technology Summit is happening in Maui, and it promises to be the first — and last — major public debut of blazing-fast 5G before the new cellular standard launches in the US for real. And while inviting 330 people to a tropical island setting might seem frivolous, there’s some serious money and technology at stake.
You see, AT&T is promising to launch real 5G NR cellular in 12 cities by the end of 2018, mere weeks from today. But despite that fact — and a variety of promises, milestones, and one-off demonstrations from other carriers which plan to launch as soon as early 2019 — we still don’t have a clear idea of what 5G will actually offer right away. Few journalists have even so much as touched a 5G device.
That will change next week. AT&T and Verizon tell The Verge they’ll have live 5G networks in Maui at Qualcomm’s big event, and we’ll be able to try a real, pocketable 5G mobile hotspot (affectionately known as the “puck”) for the first time.
Qualcomm will also reveal a new Snapdragon processor designed to appear in actual 5G phones, and a “Snapdragon 1000” processor for a new wave of always-connected Windows laptops. (Maybe, after a decade and numerous attempts, Qualcomm will finally demo a smartbook worth buying.) Qualcomm will attempt to use the rising wave of 5G hype to help raise the profile of its new chips — and make the case that the two are potentially connected.
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