Orange unveiled what it claims is the industry’s first operator-branded 5G smartphone in Europe, with initial rollout on the next-gen network in Romania expected by the end of the year and in Poland in 2020.

The premium-priced device, named Orange Neva Jet, will also be available on existing networks (3G, 4G) this year in select markets, starting with Poland, and the operator plans to expand its reach on commercial 5G networks across the continent as they go live.

Orange told Mobile World Live the device will go on sale in France on 21 November, priced at €899.90 standalone or starting from €269.90 with a subsidised convergent offer by the operator.

The smartphone comes with a 6.47-inch borderless screen with full HD+ definition, a triple camera (48MP wide-angle, 20MP ultrawide-angle and 8MP telephoto lens), as well as facial recognition and in-display fingerprint.

The handset runs on Android Pie OS and boasts integrated AI used to manage files, photos and other features.

The operator claimed when using the 5G network, the smartphone is able to reach theoretical peak download speeds of 2 Gb/s.

Orange said it plans to add more own-branded 5G smartphones in 2020.

The operator launched its first commercial 5G network in three cities in Romania on 5 November. It is still waiting on spectrum to be able to launch in its home market of France.

The company also launched redesigned phones from its Neva range, which will be available on existing networks in France, Spain, Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Moldova.