Sony Xperia 5G prototype smartphone makes an appearance at MWC 2019

5G smartphones have become the talk of the town since Mobile World Congress 2019 kicked off in Barcelona on February 25. A number of smartphone makers announced their 5G products at the event including the likes of LG, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo and ZTE. Just days before the MWC 2019 started, Samsung launched the 5G variant of its Galaxy S10 at its Unpacked event in San Francisco.

And today, Japanese electronics maker Sony today reportedly displayed its 5G prototype Xperia smartphone on its booth that tech show today. We should point out that its 5G device was also available at Qualcomm’s booth for the users to see.

However, Sony did maintain some level of secrecy around the device as on both the booths, it was kept in a casing so that attendees could not touch the device. The front panel of the Sony Xperia 5G smartphone looks very similar to its flagship Xperia 1. Like Sony Xperia 1, the 5G smartphone also comes with an ultra-tall 21:9 CinemaWide display.

But then, the company has not disclosed any details about the specifications of the smartphone or even the name of the gadget. However, since it was present at Qualcomm’s booth, it is easy to guess that the upcoming smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 855 SoC coupled with Snapdragon X50 5G modem.

According to a report in technology website Pocket-lint that quotes a Sony spokesperson, the device is internally known by the name ‘AG-1’ and it is not a commercial device at all. It is reportedly being used for network and experience testing with some key customers.

The prototype that was showcased at MWC 2019 was a 5mm wave product and also supported the sub-6GHz band. Speaking about the device, Adam Marsh from Sony’s global communications team said, “At the moment, from a rollout point of view, 5G just isn’t there. In 4G, you can still [get] more speed in more places than 5G, at the moment.”

It is worth noticing that this is just a prototype device right now, and just on the basis of this, it cannot be said if Sony will have an actual commercial 5G product. But then, the company doesn’t seem to look like it’s in a hurry, which makes sense as it will take time before 5G becomes mainstream.