Qualcomm world's largest supplier of smartphone, unveiled its second-generation 5G modems, which are expected to deliver speeds 10 to 100 times faster than current LTE networks. The company said the modems are designed to be faster, smaller, more efficient and capable of handling a wide range of frequency bands. The announcement came Tuesday ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The Snapdragon X55 is built on 7nm technology, while the first generation of the modem, the X50, is based on 10nm technology. Qualcomm's X55 modem stands out for integrating all the technologies for connecting to 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks.
Because the X50 modem is limited to 5G technology, the chip must be paired with the modem inside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor to access 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. In contrast, the multimode X55 modem consumes less power, takes up less space, and costs less to integrate into devices, according to Qualcomm. Cost is a critical issue, as the first 5G-capable smartphones could be more expensive than 4G models.
The second-generation modem is also faster than the X50, which was introduced when the 5G standard was still under development in 2016. The chip offers maximum download speeds of 7 Gbps using 5G networks, or 40% faster than the X50, which reaches speeds of 5 Gbps. The maximum upload speed is 3 Gbps. Using 4G networks, the chip can upload 2.5-Gbps, or 25% faster than Qualcomm's X24 LTE modem.
The X55 modem can support both non-standalone and standalone 5G networks, which operate in the sub-6 GHz frequency bands used by LTE frequencies. The chip covers “virtually any 5G-enabled network or region in the world,” according to Qualcomm. The product also features spectrum sharing functionality that allows 4G and 5G services to run simultaneously on the same radio frequencies.
Qualcomm is betting on the speed of 5G networks to boost smartphone sales. The company's growth has slowed as it remains under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly monopolizing the modem business. The 33-year-old company is also embroiled in a dispute with Apple and faces competition from Intel, Mediatek and others.
Qualcomm is also facing new competition from potential customers. Huawei's HiSilicon unit announced its first multimode 5G modem, the Balong 5000, based on 7-nanometer technology last month. Samsung's 10-nanometer Exynos 5100 cellular modem is designed for Samsung devices sold in regions outside the U.S. Samsung partnered with Qualcomm last year to release a smartphone powered by the X50 modem.
Apple has also begun hiring RF engineers to build a custom modem for its future iPhones. Nearly two years ago, Apple poached Qualcomm's top engineering executive, Esin Terzioglu. That could reduce Qualcomm's chances of rekindling its relationship with Apple once their legal battles settle down.
But the company is gaining momentum. Qualcomm's X55 modem will begin shipping with commercial devices by the end of 2019, the company said. The chip will also find applications in personal computers, cars and wireless servers.
Qualcomm offers not only the modem but also the antenna and other critical 5G components as a complete solution, which it claims can reduce power consumption and improve the performance of 5G devices.
RFFEs could be big business for Qualcomm, which formed a $3 billion joint venture with TDK in 2017 to make filters and other RF components. The market for front-end components is forecast to more than double to $35.2 billion by 2023, according to Yole Développement. At the same time, however, the smartphone market is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 2.5% through 2022, according to IDC.
