ZTE Plans to Roll Out 5G Smartphone in the U.S. Within a Year

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE Corp. aims to launch a smartphone with faster 5G internet capabilities in about a year, according to Lixin Cheng, chief executive officer of the company's mobile device business.The device would be introduced in the U.S. at the end of 2018 or early 2019, Cheng said in an interview with Bloomberg News. ZTE's U.S. operations are headquartered in Richardson.Plans may change based on the availability of fifth-generation networks and the supply of the necessary chipsets. Cheng said it would be a smartphone, but also noted that a 5G tablet or wireless-internet hub for homes were possibilities, too.AT&T Inc. said earlier this month that it plans 5G phone service in about a dozen cities this year, without naming any specifically. Qualcomm Inc. has talked up new chips it will sell to enable this faster wireless connectivity. Without those ingredients, ZTE and most other phone makers will struggle to offer viable 5G gadgets.  Continue reading...