Huawei is said to be working another big bet: 8K TV with 5G support

Huawei is reportedly planning to launch a new smart TV with 8K resolution and 5G support later this year.

Huawei working on 8K TV with 5G support to challenge Samsung, Sony (REUTERS)

Huawei has raced to second position in the global smartphone market and even outsold Apple in the second quarter of this year. The Chinese company is now looking to expand its footprints beyond smartphones. Its next big bet is smart TVs.

According to a Nikkei report, Huawei is working on a smart TV with 5G support. The new portfolio is expected to be officially launched by end of this year. The report said that Huawei's smart TV will sport 8K resolution and will leverage the 5G module and network to support high-resolution content including 360-degree videos, virtual reality videos, and more.

Huawei, already an established 5G telecom player, will be looking to setup an ecosystem for smart TVs including content and services before the new portfolio is rolled out. The Nikkei report pointed out that 5G TV will allow Huawei to offer faster streaming without needing the fiber optics or other traditional broadband connectivity. Another high point of the Huawei 5G TV is going to be smart hub - allowing other devices to pair up with the television.

Huawei is clearly looking to gain the first mover advantage in a nascent 5G era. Right now, handful of devices and telecom operators around the world support the new network. Interestingly enough, Huawei and Samsung both have been the first major players to join the 5G bandwagon.

As far as Smart TVs go, it's one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to a Zion market research, global smart TV market will reach $293.5 billion by 2025. The growth, however, is driven by lower-end smart TVs whereas 8K resolution devices are still expensive.

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