https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/2/25/18240187/qualcomm-processor-5g-modem-2020

The first wave of 5G phones are starting to get announced, but if today’s Qualcomm news is anything to go by, the real point of entry for the next-generation network won’t come until early 2020, when Qualcomm ships its first processor with a 5G modem built in.

That’s because so far, the first 5G phones are all a bit of a pieced-together affair. Currently, Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset has an integrated LTE modem, and not one of the company’s 5G modems. That means that basically every 5G phone featuring a Snapdragon 855 — a list that includes the Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy Fold, LG V50, ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G, and OnePlus’ 5G phone — also has to have a separate 5G modem, which takes up more space inside the phone and drains more power.