5G, AI application the next goal for smartphone firms

Chinese smartphone makers are scrambling to work on 5G and artificial intelligence technologies, in the hope of quickly applying these cutting-edge technologies to their products.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's third largest smartphone vendor, unveiled its first 5G chipset compatible with global telecom standards at the Mobile World Congress, the biggest annual industry gathering in Barcelona, Spain, in late February.

The move is part of Huawei's broad strategy to differentiate its smartphones from those of competitors as handsets now look and work increasingly the same way.