China’s OnePlus to launch first 5G smartphone in Europe with British carrier EE in 2019

Chinese smartphone company OnePlus plans to release the first commercial 5G handset in Europe next year, supporting the roll-out of next-generation mobile services in the United Kingdom.

Pete Lau, the founder and chief executive of OnePlus, made that announcement on Wednesday at a technology summit in Hawaii, where semiconductor supplier Qualcomm Technologies launched its Snapdragon 855 mobile chip set for 5G smartphones.

“Our users are always eager to try new things and they are now ready to experience the next generation of connectivity and speed,” Lau said. “In response, OnePlus has poured efforts into 5G research since 2016. Today, we stand poised to embrace the dawn of 5G.”

The upcoming OnePlus 5G smartphone will be initially available on EE, the UK’s largest mobile network operator and part of telecommunications giant BT Group, according to Lau, who did not provide a specific launch date.

The British carrier will switch on its 5G network services in 16 UK cities next year, including London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester.

OnePlus and EE have already partnered on a research and development programme to ensure their customers get the “best possible 5G connected experience”, according to a statement from the Shenzhen-based smartphone supplier.