Huawei is planning to introduce the world's first 5G-enabled TV as early as this year, according to a report by Nikkei. It will feature 8K resolution.Huawei to enter TV market
Huawei is seemingly planning to use its expertise in chipset design to muscle its way into the TV market. The company's chip arm HiSilicon Technologies is supplying Chinese TV makers with chipsets, and Huawei is looking to add 5G technology to the mix.
One of the benefits of a 5G-enabled TV is that it can connect directly and wirelessly to the internet without the need for a home broadband connection. It may also act as a router hub for other devices in the home, according to the report.
- "Among the potential benefits of a 5G TV is the fact it would not require the fiber optics or cable boxes that traditional cable or satellite broadcast services do. The TV could also act as a router hub for all other electronic devices in a home. The ultrahigh-definition 8K resolution, meanwhile, represents the most advanced TV screen on the market, with 16 times more pixels than the standard 1080 pixel high-definition," the report from Nikkei said.Photo: Huawei - Ken Hu, Huawei’s Deputy Chairman
The TV that Huawei is developing will reportedly feature 8K resolution and will most likely use an LCD panel from BOE or CSoT (TCL), the report noted.
Huawei declined to comment on the matter.
8K TVs have already started to surface. Samsung and Sharp are both selling 8K TVs, while LG and Sony are planning to enter the segment later this year. These rely on 8K video input via Ethernet, WiFi or HDMI. The TV from Huawei would not only be the first 5G-enabled 8K TV but the world's first 5G-enabled TV of any kind.
Does 5G technology have the potential to upend the TV industry? We may find out later this year. Nikkei claims that Huawei is planning to introduce the TV "as early as this year" in an effort to expand its ecosystem of consumer electronics devices. Huawei is the world's second-largest smartphone maker by shipments.
- Source: Nikkei