5.5G is the new buzzword in China these days, with Oppo, Xiaomi, and vivo already announcing support for the tech for their respective flagship devices in the past week or so. And now Honor has also revealed that, once 5.5G networks are active, its Magic6 series will all support 5.5G through a software update.
If you’re wondering what 5.5G is, well, “5.5G” itself is just a marketing term that carriers will use to get you to upgrade your plan, most likely, or just to brag about how advanced their networks are compared to competitors. But “advanced” is the key word here, as “5.5G” is known as 5G-Advanced, the next iteration of mobile data technology, which (as always) promises much faster data speeds and much lower latency.
Of course it’s still based on 5G, as the name spells out, and its spec has yet to be finalized – that’s expected to happen this year, which is why smartphone makers and carriers are starting this frenzy already. At the moment, this doesn’t affect you in any way, but of course it’s good to know that top of the line devices from major manufacturers will be future proof enough to support 5.5G when it does eventually launch.
The advertised (in China) peak data rates of 10Gbps for downloads and 1Gbps for uploads are definitely wishful thinking at this point, as is the promised millisecond-level latency, but still, there will definitely be improvements compared to what we have today. At a hardware level, any device with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or Dimensity 9300 should be capable of supporting 5.5G, but of course it’s up to each manufacturer to actually enable that.
Source (in Chinese)
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
