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Verizon will preload Snapchat on 'select' 5G phones
Snap Inc. and Verizon (Engadget's parent company) announced today that they are "official 5G innovation partners." As part of the alliance, Verizon will preload the Snapchat app on "select" 5G devices and offer exclusive deals through its Verizon Up rewards program. Snap will develop new AR features and experiences at Verizon's 5G Labs, and you can expect Verizon "premium sponsorship placements" in Snap Originals video series.
Verizon's 5G coverage maps are here, and they're sparse
Seven months after it first launched its 5G network in the US, Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has shared coverage maps for all 18 cities in which it currently offers next-generation wireless connectivity. The maps were first spotted by PCMag, and make it clear why the carrier was likely reticent to share them in the first place. Outside of the downtown cores of dense cities like Chicago and New York, there's not much to see at the moment. Take the map of Sioux Falls, for instance -- it's fair to describe Verizon's deployment in the city is modest at best.
US and Poland agree to rigorously evaluate foreign 5G equipment
The US and Poland declared today that suppliers of 5G network equipment should be rigorously evaluated for foreign government control. Vice President Mike Pence and Polish President Andrzej Duda signed an agreement to tighten guidelines of 5G network security, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal didn't name Huawei specifically, but it's the latest move in Washington's attempt to exclude China from 5G networks.
LG's V50 ThinQ 5G is up for pre-order tomorrow from Sprint
Starting tomorrow, customers in select cities can preorder Sprint's first two 5G devices -- the LG V50 ThinQ 5G and HTC 5G Hub. They'll be available in Sprint's first four expected 5G markets -- Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Kansas City -- by May 31st. And in the next few weeks, they'll hit Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, DC. Sprint's announcement suggests its on track with its goal to launch 5G in those cities this spring.
Verizon turns on its 5G mobile network a week ahead of schedule
Verizon has flipped the switch on the first parts of its 5G mobile network a week ahead of schedule. The service is live in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis, just in time for the March Madness Final Four in the latter city this weekend. Once you move out of an area where the 5G network is active, the 4G LTE network will take over. 5G access with Verizon (which is Engadget's parent company) costs $10 on top of regular unlimited plans, though the first three months are free.
Samsung's 5G Galaxy S10 debuts in South Korea first on April 5th
Samsung's 5G phone will be available for sale in South Korea on April 5th. The launch of the S10 5G comes ahead of South Korea finalizing plans to become the first country to roll-out 5G nationwide. Samsung's phone will likely recruit an onslaught of people onto the new mobile network and serve as a litmus test as more countries expand to 5G in 2019.
Verizon will switch on mobile 5G in Chicago and Minneapolis April 11th
Verizon is planning to bring 5G mobile service to at least 30 US cities this year, and now we know when it'll switch on the first parts of its new network. The provider (which owns Engadget's parent company, Verizon Media) will open up its 5G mobile network in Chicago and Minneapolis April 11th.
UK government and industry heavyweights set up 5G Innovation Centre, want to go one better
The UK is almost ready to flip the switch on its first LTE network, but it's determined to be at the forefront of the next-generation, setting up a "5G Innovation Centre" at the University of Surrey. The government announced it's putting up £11.6 million (around $18.6 million) in funding, but another £24 million (around $38.5 million) will be coming from an industry group comprising the likes of Huawei, Samsung, Telefonica, Rohde & Schwarz, Fujitsu and others. The money will allow research to go beyond concept and theory, with the aim that all partners work together to develop and standardize 5G technology, which the university has been looking into for a number of years already. They will focus on energy and spectrum efficiency as well as speed, and although it's early days, 10Gbps has been banded around as a per-tower target, translating to roughly 200Mbps for each connection. Unfortunately, we've also got a number to kill your geek buzz -- it's upwards of a decade away. Still, at least you've got a long time to think about which case you'll be picking up for your 5G-ready Galaxy S XV.
