Qualcomm has announced the launch of its latest 5G modem. Dubbed as Snapdragon X60, the 5G modem-equipped smartphones are expected to launch in early 2021.
With the latest modem, operators can flexibly utilize a mix of Frequency bands including mmWave, sub-6 GHz including low bands, Band types like 5G FDD and TDD, and deployment modes SA and NSA. This helps to achieve an optimal combination of high-speed and low-latency network coverage.
The Modem comes loaded with 5nm process node for the 5G baseband chip with high power efficiency. It comes with support for 5G FDD-TDD sub-6 carrier aggregation that increases peak speeds. The new Qualcomm QTM535 mmWave Antenna module introduced with Snapdragon X60 is smaller than the previous generation. The company claims that the modem can deliver up to 7.5 gigabits per second (Gbps) of download speeds and 3Gbps of upload speeds.
The modem also supports key features like mmWave-sub6 aggregation, sub-6 FDD-TDD aggregation, Voice-over-NR (VoNR), and DSS help operators accelerate transitioning to 5G SA mode. The company has revealed that Snapdragon X60 5G Modem is the world’s first commercial modem-to-antenna solution which includes the baseband, RF transceiver, and complete RF front-end for mmWave and sub-6 GHz.
“5G adoption and growth is poised to accelerate in 2020. The launch of Snapdragon X60 fuels this acceleration and expansion by allowing more networks to attain higher 5G speeds with available spectrum resources. It’s true that anyone can talk 5G. Qualcomm Technologies is creating it, and we’re creating it now. Customer sampling for Snapdragon X60 is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2020,” the company said in a statement.