Qualcomm has announced its latest flagship 5G modem, the X80, alongside the FastConnect 7900 connectivity system. Qualcomm’s new offerings aim at providing lightning-fast 5G speeds, enhanced AI capabilities, and expanded support for satellite connectivity.
X80 5G is Qualcomm’s seventh-generation 5G modem,. It is designed for a wide range of devices, including smartphones, extended reality (XR) devices, PCs, vehicles, and industrial IoT devices. The modem features a dedicated AI processor promising improved data speeds, coverage, and power efficiency with low latency. Qualcomm claims a 10% lower power draw on mmWave networks and a 30% improvement in location accuracy.
It boasts the peak download speeds at 10 Gbps and uploads at a theoretical 3.5 Gbps with both 5G mmWave and sub-6 GHz frequencies. The modem also features a 6-receiver antenna architecture and is the first 5G modem with 6x downlink carrier aggregation and AI-based mmWave range extension.
Snapdragon X80 is also the first 5G modem with fully integrated narrowband (NB) to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) satellite communications support. So, we can expect more flagship phones to offer satellite connectivity in the coming soon.
Qualcomm is currently in the sampling phase of the X80 5G modem with commercial devices expected to hit the market in the second half of 2024.
Qualcomm also introduced the FastConnect 7900 mobile connectivity system, a 6nm chip integrating Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ultra Wideband connectivity. This is the first time these three connectivity technologies have been integrated into a single chip. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 with spatial audio and ANT+ support. With all these features, FastConnect 7900 is set to redefine mobile connectivity.
FastConnect 7900 also leverages AI enhancements to optimize latency and power draw. Qualcomm claims up to 40% lower power usage compared to the previous FastConnect 7800 module.
The FastConnect 7900 is set to launch commercially in the second half of 2024.
