Whilst we won’t actually see 5G services go live for devices until 2019, Verizon has completed the world’s first 5G data transmission on a smartphone. The device in question, the Moto Z3 with a 5G Moto Mod attached, is now officially the world’s first commercially available 5G device.
Technically, it’s the world’s first 5G-upgradable smartphone and Verizon even knows this. A post on Twitter even confirmed it to Verizon customers and shows the device connected to the 5G network but only via a status bar icon.
Oddly, the network connection level is at just one bar, but that is likely due to the 5G infrastructure being so infantile at this point. Verizon worked with Samsung to produce the 5G radio in the new Moto Mod, whilst Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem is packed inside of the snap-on accessory.
Connectivity was tested via the simple acts of video calling and internet browsing, but as stats nerds, we’d love to see a few proper speed tests to really get our juices flowing.