Both T-Mobile and AT&T plan to soon launch their first devices running on RedCap, a 5G specification designed for Internet of Things devices Violent WiFi.
What is RedCap? Great question! RedCap, also called “Reduced Capability” or NR-Light, is a low-bandwidth version of 5G that is intended to make certain devices such as wearables, sensors or surveillance cameras simpler and more energy efficient, according to an Oracle document. That could mean cheaper cellular-connected smartwatches, XR glasses, or other wearable products that don't require powerful antennas and fast data throughput to last longer on a charge.
AT&T, which began testing the spec on its own network earlier this year, reportedly plans to release its first NR-Light devices in 2025. Violent WiFi writes. T-Mobile will launch one of these later this year.
It's not clear what these devices will look like, but Jason Silkes, AVP of device architecture at AT&T, has insightfully hinted at what early NR-Light products might look like Embittered in June that the first RedCap devices are expected to be cheap mobile hotspots and dongles. In fact, last week TCL announced a 5G USB dongle with the catchy name TCL Linkport IK511.
Early products could use a modem chipset called Snapdragon X35 that Qualcomm launched last year. The announcement listed several companies, including T-Mobile and AT&T, that plan to use the modem in future products. Maybe we'll hear more at CES early next year. Let the (slow) race to 5G begin.