Sprint and LG are making the first 5G-capable phone in the U.S.

- August 15, 2018

5G is coming sooner than you think.

Motorola may have already shown off a 5G Moto Mod for its new Moto Z3, but that accessory isn't due to be released until early 2019 — and even then, it's just an add-on that attaches to the back of your phone. Another device to purchase, another device to keep charged, and another device to carry with you at all times.

For 5G to really start taking off, we're going to need to start seeing phones with integrated 5G radios built directly in, and LG is teaming up with Sprint to make that happen.

Unfortunately, neither company has given much info on the phone; we don't know whether to expect the LG G8 to be 5G-capable or if this is a different phone entirely, but either way the companies are looking to ship this 5G phone in the first half of 2019.

Sprint says its 5G-capable Massive MIMO cell sites can deliver up to 10 times the capacity of its existing LTE systems — at first, it'll roll out in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington D.C., but of course, the 5G network will expand to other markets over time.