OnePlus’ “5G Apps of Tomorrow” program challenges developers to create apps that need 5G

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We’re only two months into 2019 and you may already be sick of hearing about 5G. There’s no doubt this is going to be a big trend this year. All the major players are throwing their hats into the ring. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G are just a couple of the handsets we’ve seen so far. OnePlus is at MWC with some 5G news as well.

While OnePlus didn’t exactly have a 5G phone to show off, they are partnering with Qualcomm and EE to launch “5G Apps of Tomorrow.” The program is designed to help developers create “the next great apps for 5G.”

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau explained how he believes 5G will go through three stages of development. “5G 1.0” will improve data transfer speeds, which will make cloud data feel like local data. “5G 2.0” will usher in smartphones with more mature AI that can connect to a wider range of devices. The last era, “5G 3.0,” is when everything will be interconnected and we will have a “truly burden-less” experience.

The “5G Apps of Tomorrow” program hopes to put less of the focus on 5G hardware and more on the software, which will be equally important. The program challenges developers to create apps that will benefit users in the 5G era. Developers can make pitches in the 5G forums on OnePlus’ website. The top 5 creators will then receive a number of prizes: