RedCap, 5G for wearables and IoT, will get its first devices soon

Both T-Mobile and AT&T plan to soon release the first devices running on RedCap, a tooled 5G specification for Internet of Things devices. According to intense wireless.

What is a red cap? Great question! RedCap, also known as “reduced capability” or NR-Light, is a lower-bandwidth version of 5G that is expected to make certain devices such as wearables, sensors, and surveillance cameras simpler and more power-efficient. . oracle documentation. This could mean cheaper cellular-connected smartwatches, XR glasses, or other portable products that don’t require high-power antennas or fast throughput and can last longer on a single charge.

AT&T reportedly began testing the spec on its network early this year and plans to release the first NR-Light devices in 2025. fierce wireless is written. T-Mobile plans to launch its own service later this year.

It’s not clear what these devices will look like, but AT&T AVP of Device Architecture Jason Silkes has hinted at what early NR-Light products might look like. tell intense in june The first RedCap devices will likely be inexpensive mobile hotspots and dongles. As expected from TCL announced Last week, a 5G USB dongle with the catchy name TCL Linkport IK511 was announced.

Early products were likely to use Qualcomm’s modem chipset released last year It’s called Snapdragon X35. The statement lists several companies that plan to use the modem in future products, including T-Mobile and AT&T. We’ll probably hear more information during CES early next year. Let the (slow) race to 5G begin.