RedCap, 5G for wearables and IoT, will receive its first devices soon

Both T-Mobile and AT&T have plans to release their first devices soon that run on RedCap, the 5G specification intended for Internet of Things devices, according to Fierce Wireless.

What is RedCap? Great question! Also called “reduced power” or NR-Light, RedCap is a low-bandwidth version of 5G that is expected to make certain devices, such as wearables, sensors, or surveillance cameras lighter and more energy-efficient, according to an Oracle document. That could mean smart watches that connect to cheap cell phones, XR glasses, or other portable products that don’t require high-powered sticks and quick discharges that last a long time on a charge.

AT&T, which began testing the spec on its network earlier this year, is reportedly planning to roll out its first NR-Light devices in 2025, Fierce Wireless he writes. IT-Mobile will launch its own before the end of this year.

It’s not clear what those devices will be, but AT&T AVP of device design Jason Silkes has hinted at what past NR-Light products might have looked like, say. They are not aggressive in June that RedCap’s first devices will likely be mobile hotspots and dongles. Indeed, TCL announced a 5G USB dongle last week, called TCL Linkport IK511.

Early products may use the modem chipset Qualcomm introduced last year called Snapdragon X35. It listed several companies in its announcement, including T-Mobile and AT&T, that plan to use the modem in future products. Perhaps we’ll hear more during CES early next year. Let the (slow) race to 5G begin.