The smartphone industry is presently in a frenzy as we await the launch of the first phones that will be equipped with 5G technology. Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 855 chipset equipped with the Snapdragon X50 modem will power the 5G phones. Presently, Qualcomm has no competitor in that category but the company isn’t resting on its oars, waiting for the cash to start rolling in for chipset orders. Instead, the US fabless chipmaker has announced its second generation 5G modem dubbed Snapdragon X55.
This surprise announcement is a clear signal that Qualcomm doesn’t want to give its competitors the opportunity to play catch up as it pushes its technology even further. The Snapdragon X55 chipset is expected to make its debut in smartphones in late 2019 but it did disclose that manufacturers are already sampling the chipset. The new chipset comes with some improvements over the X50, one of which is more gigabits giving it faster download speed. The first-gen Snapdragon X50 is capable of achieving up to 4.5 Gbps of peak download speed. The Snapdragon X55 modem pushes things even further, up to 7 Gbps. Understandably, the first generation X50 modem may have been tailored to meet the initial capabilities of 5G networks. However, the maximum download speed of the second-gen X55 is an indication that the potentials of 5G will continuously grow bigger and bigger over time. The early announcement may also be targeted at Huawei’s Balong 5000 modem which is capable of hitting a maximum download speed of 6.5Gbps.
The Snapdragon X55 isn’t all about 5G connectivity, as it also comes with improvements in 4G and even 3G connectivity. or 4G LTE, the X55 will support Category 22 LTE that can reach download speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps. The new modem will also support dynamic spectrum sharing between 4G and 5G bands. This will help both network providers when deploying the new technology and users to have a more seamless user experience.
Read Also: Huawei announces Balong 5000 5G modem with up to 6.5 Gbps 5G speeds in China
The 7Gps download speed is way more than what is needed on a mobile phone but the new modem is tailored not just for smartphones but also to deliver 5G to several devices such as wireless router, laptops, tablets as well as “extended reality devices” such as VR headsets with extremely high bandwidth craving. The X55 will come with a new 5G mmWave antenna module and more advanced modem-to-antenna solutions. The antenna module will complement the capabilities of the new modem and also improve power efficiency and design constraints, promising better battery life and sleeker-looking smartphones. This will no doubt curb the power-craving and heat conduction efficiency of the new chipset.
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