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Overview:

* Qualcomm Ventures—one of the giants in the mobile device sector—recently invested in four new 5G-focused startups;

* 5G offers much higher speeds than the current 4G and promises to change the way we use mobile apps;

* Available in several countries, the technology should only reach Brazil in mid-2021 or early 2022.

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With Qualcomm Ventures’ heavy investment in recent months, it is clear that 5G is set to reshape mobile apps for good. The mobile-sector giant recently invested in four new tech startups focused on 5G: Celona, Cellwize, Azion, and Pensando.

Qualcomm’s goal with these investments is straightforward: to accelerate the development of mobile technology and 5G infrastructure, making it capable of supporting a large number of users and mobile devices simultaneously in the near future.

In fact, this investment is not new. According to Crunchbase data, the company has already invested more than US$ 170 million in 5G development—pointing to strong results once the technology becomes widely consolidated in the coming years.

But what really changes with 5G? Why does implementing this new technology matter? Let’s take a look.

Getting to know 5G a bit better…

By now, you have probably heard (or read) in many news outlets about 5G arriving in Brazil.

But do you know what this technology actually is?

Since the first smartphone launches, it became necessary to develop a technology that could bring internet access to these devices—sales kept rising, and having internet on a phone became synonymous with convenience.

It still is.

5G is the evolution of the previous generations known as 3G and 4G.

If the rollout of 4G in 2009 brought a major shift in how we communicate, 5G promises not only faster internet, but also a broader transformation in society.

That expectation is largely driven by the promise of more advanced artificial intelligence and the massive number of connected devices.

According to experts, 5G could enable more than 1 million devices to connect per square meter. The idea is for everything to be connected: phones, cars, security cameras, and other electronics.

How will 5G change mobile apps?

5G is expected to bring significant changes to how we use mobile apps. With today’s data transmission speeds, an app often needs a lighter, less complex structure to work properly.

One of the reasons is that, in some regions, internet connectivity can still be slow and may not respond well to apps built with heavier architectures—hurting part of the user base and reducing customer satisfaction.

With the high speeds promised by the new technology, apps can become more feature-rich and structurally robust, strengthening innovation.

A good historical example is the arrival of 4G. At the time, with the start of this new technology, new mobile games and apps could be developed and thrive—like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many others that are now part of daily life.

In addition, 5G is arriving alongside the creation of new technology products. Smart devices, smartphones, and other hardware will need to be even more capable, supporting higher connection speeds and delivering the best possible user experience.

Below are a few areas where we can expect major development trends:

1. File transfer

The most immediate change for mobile apps with 5G is data transfer speed.

With more and more of our daily services happening through apps, it will become even easier and faster to download documents, use cloud services, and even make bank transfers.

Developing an even faster data technology expands the technical capacity and limits that servers face today, and it also enables innovation in the creation of new startups and business models.

For comparison, a recent Qualcomm study indicates that today’s 4G networks can support speeds of up to 60 Mbps in highly populated cities.

5G represents a major leap, enabling connections of up to 3 Gbps in large metropolitan areas and megacities.

To put it in perspective, the idea is that with 5G, areas farther from city centers could still get up to 100 Mbps—significantly outperforming today’s 4G speeds in major economic hubs.

If these speeds are impressive for home use, imagine what will be possible in the headquarters of innovation-driven companies, such as those located in Silicon Valley.

2. User experience

Along with faster data transfer comes better user experience.

With faster mobile internet, apps will load features more quickly and can become visually richer and more immersive.

This shift has a particularly positive impact on areas like UX and UI design.

In software development companies, with lower latency enabled by 5G, more elaborate visual assets can be used without “weighing down” an app’s architecture—bringing more interface personalization to clients.

3. Streaming apps

Streaming apps also tend to see a significant improvement in data transmission. Since streaming is part of our daily entertainment, 5G will make it possible to deliver higher-quality images faster.

If you have an efficient 4G connection, streaming 4K content on mobile apps is not necessarily difficult.

However, that is not the reality in many countries.

With faster mobile internet, it will become common to watch movies and series in 4K resolution and high frame rates on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

This evolution in how we connect can also reduce “delays” in live streams and in voice and video calls—features that were widely used on mobile devices in 2020 and should improve in both playback and transmission quality.

In addition, this increased speed opens room for companies to enhance and develop new features in productivity-focused mobile apps, which became central to everyday routines after the shift to remote work.

4. Augmented and virtual reality

Better internet connectivity can also affect augmented reality and virtual reality.

Even though there are already many mobile apps that use these capabilities, the technology has not become truly mainstream and is not part of most people’s daily routines.

One of the main reasons is precisely the limits of current data transfer speeds—today’s 4G is not always attractive or adequate to create a truly immersive experience.

5G can bring back the idea that augmented and virtual reality will become more accessible and more common, especially as new tools and features are created.

It may even enable broader use in professional environments and for social development—such as education or healthcare.

In short, the speed offered by 5G enables a more realistic, more reliable experience and significantly better performance for mobile apps.

That naturally tends to increase investment and organic growth in the sector.

5. Machine learning and artificial intelligence

The same is true for machine learning and the use of artificial intelligence. Today, one of the biggest concerns for companies is ensuring digital security in their mobile apps and protecting customer data.

Especially after numerous data leaks in recent years—and with stricter regulations—it is clear that companies will need to invest heavily in security going forward.

5G helps enable that. With higher connection speeds, machine learning and AI can evolve significantly, in proportion to the arrival of high-speed data transfer.

As a result, it becomes possible to “teach” machines to fight cyberattacks more accurately without compromising company resources—leading to better security for mobile apps.

In addition, recent studies from Cornell University in New York suggest it may even be possible to predict attacks with some advance notice, based on patterns from previous attacks and the system’s ability to run calculations quickly.

Of course, building this kind of structure requires significant investment at first. Over time, however, the financial return can be attractive.

6. Internet of Things (IoT)

Finally—and already increasingly present in daily life—there is the evolution and consolidation of the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in relation to mobile apps. 5G helps more smart devices stay connected to each other and to your smartphone, for example.

In addition, with the lower response time enabled by 5G, these communication systems will become even more agile than they are today, improving efficiency and resource optimization.

With this capacity, IoT can be implemented across different parts of society—especially through remote control of smart devices.

Industries like manufacturing and healthcare can benefit, as there is an expectation that heavy and precision machines may be controlled via the internet, increasing productivity, improving worker safety, and driving better outcomes.

In addition, combined with the development of augmented and virtual reality, smart cars also become more accessible and precise, since 4G has been a limiting factor for major manufacturers due to lower data transmission rates.

Is 5G already a reality in Brazil?

Already available in several countries around the world—such as South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States—5G connectivity is expected to arrive in Brazil only in mid-2021 or early 2022.

Currently, the technology present in Brazil is called 5G DSS (Dynamic Spectrum Sharing), a more economical version of 5G for carriers and, as a result, with lower data rates than “true” 5G.

Because of this “lower” speed, the connection’s full potential cannot yet be explored in the areas mentioned above, since 5G DSS uses a frequency similar to current 4G and does not reach gigabit speeds.

Even so, it can be considered an initial step toward 5G in Brazil. Still, it remains restricted and limited, available only in some large cities and in a few urban centers.

Even without fully consolidated 5G in Brazil, mobile app development continues to grow steadily.

But where do you start?

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