People are seen at the booth of Chinese tech company Huawei at the 2019 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. (Xinhua/Guo Qiuda)

LONDON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese company Huawei launched its 5G smartphone here on Thursday, as mobile network operators are preparing to switch on 5G network in parts of Britain.

The HUAWEI Mate 20 X (5G) is the latest Huawei smartphone that introduces consumers to 5G with a premium experience comprising high-speed connectivity, flagship performance, large display, reliable battery life and more.

Huawei's 5G smartphone harnesses a wide spectrum of patented technologies to support standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) 5G networking modes, as well as multiple generations of network technology, according to the company.

The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) will be available in Britain from June.

The launch of Huawei's 5G smartphone comes as operators in Britain are preparing to switch on their 5G networks in coming months.

Vodafone announced on Tuesday that its 5G service will be available in seven major cities across Britain in July, and it will go live in 12 other cities by the end of 2019. The operator will offer 5G smartphone products from Samsung and China's Huawei and Xiaomi.

Global 5G smartphone shipments are expected to surge to 120 million devices in 2020, according to IHS Markit forecasts, a London-based global information provider.