QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON TECH SUMMIT 2018 – MAUI, HAWAII: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau revealed the vendor’s first 5G smartphone will be sold in the UK through operator EE, as part of a next-generation research and development partnership between the pair.

Speaking here, Lau said the device would launch in the first half of 2019 and later told CNET the vendor is targeting availability by end-May. Following its initial debut on EE’s network, the device will be made available to other global mobile operators.

In a statement, Lau said “there’s no one more suitable than OnePlus to make a 5G smartphone. Our users are always eager to try new things and they are now ready to experience the next generation of connectivity and speed…Today, we stand poised to embrace the dawn of 5G.”

Lau didn’t detail specifications, but confirmed earlier reports the device will use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 processor.

The phone is expected to sell for a few hundred dollars more than OnePlus’ other flagship devices, CNET reported.

OnePlus revealed its EE partnership a matter of weeks after the operator announced it plans to launch 5G services in 16 cities in 2019.

In a statement announcing the OnePlus move, BT consumer CEO Marc Allera said the pair are “working together on cutting edge technology”, adding EE’s deployment plan for the next-generation technology “will increase reliability, increase speeds and keep our customers connected”.