5G

Wireless power transmission has potential, but range is a major hurdle. In a new proof-of-concept, Ericsson and PowerLight Technologies demonstrated a technique called optical beaming, using a laser to transmit power to a portable 5G base station.

There are two main versions of 5G technology, depending on what you prioritize – speed or coverage. But now, engineers at UC San Diego have found a way to get the best of both worlds, using an algorithm to bounce faster signals around obstacles.

As 5G networks become more widespread, scientists are already preparing the next generation of the communication technology. Researchers at LG and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have now demonstrated 6G transmission across a new distance record.

Google has quietly unveiled its new midrange phone for 2021, the Pixel 5a with 5G. As usual for this A series, it takes some of the best stuff from last year’s flagship, like the meaty cameras and battery, and trims the price down.

While drone racing is becoming increasingly popular as a televised sport, the live video from the drones' onboard cameras still leaves something to be desired. T-Mobile and The Drone Racing League are addressing that problem, with a new 5G drone.

It may feel like 5G networks are only just becoming mainstream, but the next iteration, 6G, is already in the works. Samsung has now demonstrated its first prototype 6G system in an over-the-air test, using terahertz (THz) frequencies.

A team from Georgia Tech has just announced a world-first: a 3D-printed rectifying antenna the size of a playing card that can harvest electromagnetic energy from 5G signals and use it to power devices, turning 5G networks into wireless power grids.

Lockheed Martin and Omnispace are teaming up to explore the technology needed to deliver 5G connectivity on a global scale by combining a constellation of non-geostationary orbital satellites and terrestrial mobile networks.

Samsung claims to have achieved a 5G data speed record, delivering a massive 5.23 Gigabits per second to a single device. This record was set by passing some of the load to 4G frequencies at the same time, all while using commercially available tech.

HP is looking to serve folks who find themselves having to work away from the office with some powerful new laptops. The EliteBook x360 1000 series machines come packing 5G mobile connectivity and a long per charge battery life.

Packing the kind of refresh rate that desktop computer gamers enjoy from monitors made by Asus, Samsung, LG and more, the RedMagic 5G gaming smartphone also rocks a flagship processor, a triple-lens camera, fast-charging battery and 5G mobile comms.

Planet Computers has hit the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform with the Astro Slide. Inspired by the Personal Digital Assistants of the 1990s, it's a chunky smartphone when out and about, with a slide-out physical keyboard when it's time to work.