Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X65 5G modem brings a promise of 10Gbps internet speeds

Qualcomm has lifted the overs from its 4th gen 5G modem – the Snapdragon X65 modem, that succeeds the X60 found in last year’s flagships. The biggest promise with Qualcomm’s latest offering is that it brings 10 Gigabit 5G to the table – the first 5G modem-RF system in the world to reach those numbers. Additionally, the company has also launched the slightly toned-down Snapdragon X62 5G modem as well. Both the new Qualcomm offerings are currently in the sampling phase and will appear in commercially available devices such as smartphones by late 2021.

Talking about the key advancements introduced by the Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF system, it features an upgradeable architecture that will adapt to the new 3GPP Release 16 standard via software updates. What this essentially means is Qualcomm’s new 5G modem is future-proof too. And to go with it, Qualcomm has also come up with QTM545 fourth-generation mmWave antenna module that is claimed to boost mmWave coverage and power efficiency as well, aside from supporting higher transmit power.

The Snapdragon X65 modem is also touted to be the first in the world to rely on an AI Antenna tuning technology to further improve cellular performance and efficiency to achieve faster data speeds and longer battery life.  There’s also a next-gen power tracking solution that is smaller, yet offers higher performance. Qualcomm says that its latest offering also relies on frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD across the mmWave and Sub-6GHz bands for the most comprehensive spectrum aggregation. 

Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen2

In addition to the new 5G modems, Qualcomm has also announced its second-gen 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform that also brings 10Gbps support to the table. The upgraded platform will let telecom operators offer fixed internet broadband services to homes and businesses using their 5G infrastructure.

It also features the new extended-range Qualcomm QTM547 mmWave antenna module and is touted to be the first in the world to offer 5G sub-6 GHz support with eight receive (RX) antennas. Following are a few key features of Qualcomm’s next-gen 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform: 

Lastly, Qualcomm has also introduced a slew of RF Front End (RFFE) solutions targeted at 5G mobile devices. Here’s the fresh portfolio that Qualcomm has unveiled:

Seventh-generation Qualcomm Wideband Envelope Tracker (Qualcomm QET7100) – World’s first multi-mode, multi-output, multi-power amplifier, wideband envelope tracking solution supporting global 5G sub-6 GHz and LTE bands.Qualcomm AI-Enhanced Signal Boost – World’s first 5G adaptive antenna tuning solution enhanced with AI designed to improve context-based antenna performance and help OEMs address the growing number of antennas and frequency ranges required in 5G mobile devices. New integrated 5G/4G Power Amplifier (PA) Modules and Diversity Modules.

Nadeem Sarwar

I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over three years now, having worked with names such as NDTV and Beebom in the past. Aside from covering the latest news, I’ve reviewed my fair share of devices ranging from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices. I also have interviewed tech execs and appeared as a host in YouTube videos talking about the latest and greatest gadgets out there.