AT&T Also Prepping 5G Samsung Smartphone for Next Year

Verizon won't be the only carrier offering a 5G Samsung smartphone next year.

A day after Verizon announced plans to start selling a 5G Samsung phone in the first half of 2019, and Sprint said it would do the same, AT&T confirmed it too has a 5G Samung phone in the works.

At this point, details about the new Samsung 5G handset are scant. Could it be a 5G-enabled Galaxy S10 we've been hearing rumors about? We'll just have to wait and see. AT&T promised to share more information "in the coming months," so sit tight.

For now, AT&T says the device will give customers access to the 5G mobile network it plans to introduce in a dozen markets before the end of 2018. Those markets include Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, San Antonio, and Waco. Initially, AT&T's millimeter-wave system will only cover parts of those cities, probably the densest parts of town.

In the first half of 2019, AT&T plans to expand service to parts of seven additional cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.

"5G is going to be about more than just a network," AT&T Mobility and Entertainment President David Christopher said in a statement. "Customers will eventually be able to connect in near real-time to unforeseen possibilities. Together with Samsung, we plan to bring the best in technology and innovation to our customers."

This is the second mobile 5G device AT&T has announced. In October, the carrier showed off the Netgear Nighthawk M5 Fusion hotspot, which will be the first consumer mobile 5G device in the world when it launches before the end of the year.

Also today, AT&T said it's working with Samsung to create the country's first "manufacturing-focused 5G Innovation Zone" where it plans to study how 5G could be put to work in smart factories.

"We expect 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," the company wrote.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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