HTC Unveils 5G Wirless Hub At MWC 2019 Bringing 5G To Existing Devices

Odds are that most people have multiple devices that need internet connectivity on the go, be it a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. These gadgets represent a significant investment in money and with 5G looming, many might be considering updating their devices to take advantage of the faster connectivity. If all you want is 5G connectivity, HTC has rolled out a new device at MWC 2019 that will bring these faster speeds to all your devices via Wi-Fi. The device is called the HTC 5G Hub.

HTC says that this is the first dedicated 5G mobile smart hub on the market and it can share a 5G connection with up to 20 devices via its hot spot feature. The 5G Hub has a 5-inch touchscreen with HD resolution on the front that offers "high-quality visuals." HTC says that the device can replace a Wi-Fi router and eliminates unnecessary cables with an easy plug-and-play setup. HTC will also enable, in the future, the ability to stream VR content directly to a VIVE headset with no PC needed via the 5G Mobile Smart Hub.

The 5G Hub supports enough speed for mobile gaming and 4K video streaming to second screens. The device also supports voice command and remote-control features making it easy to manage entertainment and productivity needs. HTC uses the same Snapdragon 855 SoC inside that new flagship smartphones us, like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. The modem inside is the familiar Snapdragon X50.

The operating system for the Hub is Android 9 Pie allowing the download of native Android and PC games on the screen of the device. The Wi-Fi hardware inside the HTC 5G Hub supports 802.11ad with multi-gigabit speeds and wire equivalent latencies. A Qualcomm 2x2 Wi-Fi 6-ready chipset provides the wireless connectivity. Power for the hub is via a 7,660 mAh internal battery, and the device does support VPNs. In the U.S., Sprint will be the exclusive wireless carrier for the HTC 5G Hub with a launch in Q2 2019.