Qualcomm Unveils New Chipset
The focus of the new Snapdragon chipset is to enhance 5G use cases by way of reduced data speed requirements for future devices
Qualcomm has hit the headlines once again by releasing the Snapdragon X35 5G modem-RF system which features two antennas and supports 1,000 Mbps peak upload speeds, 220 Mbps peak download speeds and boasts a 20 MHz bandwidth. Obviously, the target is to use less data for the resource-intensive 5G use cases emerging by the day.
The new chip uses the 3GPP NR-Light standard specs that slots in as an alternative between high-speed modems for enhanced mobile broadband and low-speed IoT communications. In a press release, Gautam Sheoran, VP of product management at Qualcomm, said the chip will support peak downlink speeds of 220 Mb/s and uplink speeds of 100 Mb/s.
It’s good but, will it be enough?
However, the fact still remains that these speeds are still significantly slower than the multi-gigabit speeds promised and shown by full-powered 5G connections. Readers would recall that the NR-Light specification was called “reduced capability” or “redcap” as it was designed as the 5G version of the LTE-M specifications used in 4G LTE.
“On the lower bandwidth perspective, smaller devices – let’s say industrial routers or other connectivity – it’s not every device that needs 200 Mb/s. But many of the devices that we see have power requirements, have size requirements, and in some cases a cost point that can fit their particular use case, Sheoran said.”
He added that initial testing has shown power consumption at less than half of current integrated 4G modems from Qualcomm.
Despite the clipped speed potential, the X35 chip does continue to support other significant 5G advantages like low-latency, precise positioning, and voice over 4G and 5G (VoLTE/VoNR). It also sports a “significantly” smaller form factor compared to full-powered chips that furthers its use inside of unique end-user devices.
However, Sheoran did think those speeds would be enough to support supposedly high throughput use cases like artificial reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
“There are features that we are developing on this chipset, whether it’s for low latency or whether it’s for specific industrial use cases – that we’re not getting into today – but it’s a feature-rich platform that’s going to have those software and hardware features that enable specific use cases,” Sheoran said.
