- The world’s first 5G laptop will launch this week in the US, thanks to a partnership between Verizon and Lenovo.
- The ultra-thin Flex 5G will retail for $1,399.99, sporting “multi-day” battery life and multi-gigabit connectivity speeds.
- Verizon launched a new mobile plan for the first 5G laptop of 2020, which starts at $30 per month if you already have a line with the carrier.
The next-generation wireless communication standard should bring incredible data transfer speeds and open the doors to new technologies. Sadly, 5G is better known for conspiracy theories than for its benefits. The latest 5G nonsense adds the novel coronavirus into the mix, and some people actually believe that the new wireless standard is responsible for the spread of COVID-19. That’s not the case, nor is 5G harmful in any way.
People who are actually excited about the arrival of 5G in their markets are probably looking for more products to take advantage of faster internet speeds. All of the Android flagships that have launched this year come equipped with 5G modems and antennas, and the iPhone 12 series will also support 5G connectivity where available. Separately, PC vendors have developed laptops ready to offer always-on 5G connectivity, demoing such devices earlier this year at CES 2020. Lenovo is now ready to sell its first notebook with built-in 5G connectivity — the Flex 5G PC — which will hit Verizon stores this week.
The Flex 5G is the world’s first PC with 5G Ultra Wideband connectivity, according to Verizon. The device will cost $1,399.99 when it launches on Thursday or $58.33 a month for 24 months on Verizon’s Device Payment program. A year of Microsoft 365 Personal is included with every Flex 5G purchase.
The carrier has also announced a new 5G Unlimited plan for consumers that offers unlimited access to 5G Ultra Wideband, unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband Hotspot, and unlimited 4K streaming. 5G connectivity is scarcely available, however, so you’ll fall back to 4G whenever you drop out of the range of 5G coverage. The plan includes unlimited 4G LTE data (15GB premium data), unlimited hotspot data (15GB at 4G LTE speeds), and HD streaming. All of that costs $30 per month with an already existing line, or $90 per month without one.
Lenovo also says that the laptop is the world’s first 5G laptop as of June 2020. The device will launch later this year in other markets, including the UK and Switzerland.
The Flex 5G is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx 5G compute platforms that other vendors will be using for ultra-sleek, always-on, fast Windows-on-ARM laptops. The device features the industry’s smallest 5G module and supports mmWave and Sub-6 GHz 5G connectivity.
Other specs include a 14-inch Full HD multitouch display, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB UFS 3.0 storage, nano-SIM card, USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, fingerprint reader, 720p and infrared cameras, Dolby Atmos audio and 60Wh battery. The 2.97-pound laptop can be used in various modes, including tablet mode. As expected, it will run on Windows 10 Pro.
When it comes to battery life, Verizon says the Flex 5G can last for more than 24 hours when running offline videos on a loop. Actual performance will vary, but ARM laptops should offer increased energy efficiency.
