Report: Google may release 5G smartphone next week

Google may unveil a 5G smartphone as soon as next week and it has already begun test production, Nikkei Asian Review reported Wednesday.

Google will unveil two new 4G Pixel smartphones, as expected, on its October 15 event. Besides the two devices it could also announce the new 5G smartphone, sources said.

"The two [Pixel 4] smartphones are already going into mass production and will be ready to ship after Google's [new products] unveiling next week," one of several sources close to the situation said. "Google is also working on a version with 5G technology, which is in test production."

A marketing splash generated by Google's move into 5G phones, which would be the first by a US company, presents a direct challenge to Apple and other leading hardware and handset makers such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies.

Google's 5G model is currently being test produced in China. But to avoid US tariffs from the China trade dispute, and to source cheaper labor, all Google production destined for the US will eventually be made outside China. A leading option is a Vietnamese facility due to be ready by the end to the year, as the Nikkei Asian Review first reported.

Google may eventually decide to unveil its new 5G model in spring next year, the sources said, alongside the release of a budget Pixel phone.

But that release date would still put Google ahead of Apple in the race to produce the next generation of 5G phones.

The Google 5G handset will come with a Snapdragon 855 mobile platform, made by US chipmaker Qualcomm, the sources added.

Meanwhile the new flagship Pixel 4 series will sport advanced organic light-emitting diode screens, like Apple's premium iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models launched in September.

Google has made no secret of its aim to move into hardware although the apparent acceleration of its investment plans, combined with the company's deep pockets, will raise the pressure on competitors. Alphabet, Google's parent, has around $117 billion in cash, while Apple has $102 billion.