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Both T-Mobile and AT&T have plans to release their first devices soon that run on RedCap, a 5G specification that is tooled for Internet of Things devices, according to Fierce Wireless<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n What is RedCap? Great question! Also called \u201creduced capability\u201d or NR-Light, RedCap is a low-bandwidth version of 5G that\u2019s expected to make certain devices, like wearables, sensors, or surveillance cameras simpler and more power efficient, according to an Oracle document<\/a>. That could mean cheaper cellular-connected smartwatches, XR glasses, or other portable products that don\u2019t need high-powered antennas and fast throughput last longer on a charge. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n AT&T, which began testing the spec on its own network early this year, reportedly plans to release its first NR-Light devices in 2025, Fierce Wireless <\/em>writes. T-Mobile will launch one of its own before this year is out. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s not clear what those devices will be, but AT&T AVP of device architecture Jason Silkes has hinted at what early NR-Light products could look like, telling Fierce<\/em> in June<\/a> that the first RedCap devices will probably be cheap mobile hotspots and dongles. Indeed, TCL announced<\/a> a 5G USB dongle last week, catchily named the TCL Linkport IK511.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Early products could use a modem chipset Qualcomm launched last year<\/a> called the 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\u2019ll hear more during CES early next year. Let the (slow) race to 5G begin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n