Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is investing about $30 million to develop a 5G research and development lab focused on both 5G hardware and software.
The 5G labs will be in Shenzhen and Taipei where radio frequency circuits, antennas and multi-media are within range. Software research will include exploration of communication protocol, optimization, performance, power, stability and user scenario testing.
"5G is a top priority in our product strategy," said Pete Lau, founder and CEO of OnePlus. "We have been investing in 5G for years and we plan to further develop application scenarios based on the daily usage habits of users, such as cloud gaming, cloud videos and cloud storage services."
As part of this 5G strategy, OnePlus will launch a full lineup of 5G devices in the upcoming months to support the expanded deployment of 5G networks expected to take place this year. OnePlus introduced its first 5G smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, last year for the U.S., Chinese and European markets.
While smartphone vendors only rolled out a handful of devices in 2019, it is expected that many more phones will be introduced in 2020 because of expanded deployment of 5G to more cities and increased coverage in cities that already have 5G.
