Intel is planning to prepare our computers for the upcoming telecommunication breakthrough, 5G. The company has partnered with Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Lenovo to bring Windows laptops with 5G connectivity through their XMM 8000 series commercial 5G modems. These laptops are expected to release sometime in the second of 2019.
The news came just a day after Qualcomm announced the list of carriers for the ARM-powered Windows 10 Always Connected PCs. At the MWC 2018 which is just around the corner, Intel will give a glimpse of the first 5G-connected Windows PC. But their 2-in-1 detachable concept, featuring an early 5G modem, would source its power from 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPUs.
The 5G standard is designed to take our wireless connectivity experience to another level, exploring possibilities that are unheard in the current scenario. For instance, it could be used to provide an untethered VR experience on the go or let users download a 250MB file in seconds in a parking lot.
What 5G can do will be visible when it arrives in the real world. The hype was built in the case of the existing 4G LTE as well, which offers a theoretical download speed of 100 Mbps. But most of the networks around the world struggle to touch even 50 Mbps. According to a recent report by OpenSignal, countries like India have average 4G LTE speeds of just 6 Mbps.
In addition to their 5G dream, Intel will also showcase the first prototype laptop featuring an 802.11ax WiFi capabilities. Last month at CES, Asus announced their new 802.11ax WiFi router RT-AX88U with support for speeds up to 6Gbps.
The company will also demonstrate the eSIM functionality which is already supported by their enterprise and consumer PC modems released since September 2017.
