Motorola CVP says the vendor could get to 5G through Moto Mods modules.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

March 14, 2017

1 Min Read
Moto Phones Could Get Modular With 5G in Future

Motorola revealed one interesting possibility for its modular smartphones at a Sprint demonstration in New Orleans last week: The device company could deliver a clip-on 5G module for its Moto Z platform.

The suggestion came from Shakil Barkat, corporate vice president of global product development at Motorola Mobility LLC during a demonstration of gigabit LTE with Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) and Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) at the Smoothie King Center in the New Orleans Central Business District.

"We could start to bring out 5G with Moto Mods," Barkat said.

Figure 1: Motorola's Barkat Envisages Modular 5G

Motorola already has "Mods" like a stereo speaker pack, a camera and an extra battery pack that can connect to the back of the Z smartphone platform.

Using a clip-on module could be a way for Motorola to offer 5G for some of its existing LTE smartphones. The company is working with Qualcomm on its 835 Snapdragon chipset, so it seems logical that the vendor could get behind the X50 5G chipset as this starts to go to designers towards the end of 2017 and into 2018.

A snap-on 5G module could be one way to help ensure that 5G devices get to market in time, if, as now promised, 5G networks arrive in 2019.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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