Realme details 5G ambitions at recent summit, including plans to bring $100 5G phone

Realme recently held a 5G Summit in partnership with the GSM Association, Qualcomm, and Counterpoint Research. During the summit, Realme detailed its ambitions to make 5G connectivity more accessible to millions of users across the globe.

The company announced a goal of reaching 100 million active 5G smartphones users by 2024. It also outlined plans to expand 5G offerings by 70 percent across 50 markets as early as 2022. Realme also plans to take the lead on affordable 5G devices with a goal of bringing a 5G phone to the $100 segment in the coming years.

Realme also said it will dedicate around $300 million in the development of 5G products in the coming two years, 90 percent of its R&D. The company is also planning on setting up seven 5G R&D centres across Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India and Europe, said, “Starting with our first 5G model, the Realme X50 5G, we have been exploring new design concepts and technical innovations to bring users more slim and design-rich 5G phones that offer powerful performance. We believe that in the 5G era, helping to accelerate the adoption of this new technology is a crucial mission for Realme. We will work hard to help popularize 5G by listening more to consumers’ needs, pushing forward product innovation, and helping to build the broader 5G ecosystem with our industry partners.”

Sheth also outlined plans to expand its 5G smartphone portfolio to over 20 models by 2022. Realme had 14 5G phones in 2020 and is also expected to unveil the flagship Realme GT series soon. The company said it will launch a performance-oriented Realme GT smartphone later in June, which has already been teased in India, while a camera-focused GT model will be unveiled in July.