5G is the next destination when it comes to network technology, or networks in general, and just about every large company related to wireless networks and carriers is throwing their hands in the 5G development efforts to advance things as quickly as possible. LG is one of those companies and is defining itself as the “patent king” of the 5G era.
What exactly does this mean? The shortest possible response to that question is that LG states (according to data it obtained from WISPRO) that it holds the most 5G-related patents with the US Patent and Trademark office. Holding more than companies such as Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Nokia Technologies Oy, and Samsung Electronics Co LTD. One key takeaway from that statement the company has made is that the patents are held in the US, so this is not LG stating it has the most 5G-related patents of any other company on a global scale.
Not that it matters for LG, as the US is a big market for it and there is lots of 5G-related work being done within the country, so holding the most patents in the US means it’s investing plenty of time in research and development for 5G advancement here.
LG boasts that its leadership in the 5G era is no surprise and instead more by design, highlighting that it also held the most standard patents related to 4G(LTE/LTE-A) patent analysis agency TechlPm. LG is clearly pointing out here that its ability to hold the most 5G-related patents is due to sheer effort put into innovation and research into the technology category, just as it did with the era of 4G technology over the past five years. The 5G era is just getting started, though, and there are likely many years of it ahead, so whether LG remains a leader is yet to be seen.
Despite the claim of holding the most 5G-related patents in the US, LG’s current most prominent 5G success is likely considered to be the V50 ThinQ, LG’s first 5G smartphone which was first launched in South Korea and aids the South Korean manufacturer in in assisting with making citizens in its home country some of the most well-versed in 5G technology from a consumer standpoint, which is also helped by all three South Korean wireless carriers having picked up the phone.
While LG continues to work on 5G technology in many areas, the V50 ThinQ is so far the center of its efforts having just released in the US, as well as other regions back in May. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G is available on Verizon as of last week Thursday, June 20, and it works on Sprint’s network as well in a handful of different markets across the US.
The phone is also a hopeful cornerstone in LG’s second quarter profits. With it having released within the last month and with the second quarter of the year nearing its end soon, time will tell if the sales from LG’s first 5G smartphone was able to boost the company’s profits to a level that it feels will be more desirable than what it was predicting.