Qualcomm today announced a wide range of 5G products to help OEMs deliver significantly faster data speeds and enable new use cases on their next-generation devices. The list of products includes the world’s first 10 Gigabit Snapdragon X65 5G modem, the Snapdragon X62 5G modem, a new mmWave module, a suite of new RF front-end solutions, and more.

Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modems

The new Snapdragon X65 5G modem is the showstopper here. A direct successor to the last year’s Snapdragon X60, the fourth-gen modem offers significantly faster peak download speeds. Qualcomm is advertising up to 10 Gbps in the downlink, making it the first modem-RF system to reach such speeds. For reference, the existing Snapdragon X60 offers up to 7.5 Gbps download speeds. The modem can achieve 10 Gigabit speeds on both stand-alone and non-standalone 5G networks. The Snapdragon X65 is also the first modem to support 3GPP’s 5G NR release 16, the second set of specifications aimed at boosting the expansion and deployment of 5G NR worldwide.

We are reaching a significant milestone with the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, unleashing connectivity up to 10 Gigabits per second and support for the latest 5G specifications that will play a critical role in enabling new 5G use cases not only for redefined premium smartphone experiences but also opening a new realm of possibilities for 5G expansion across mobile broadband, compute, XR, industrial IoT, 5G private networks and fixed wireless access

The modem is built on a 4nm process and supports simultaneous carrier aggregation between all sub-6GHz and mmWave bands. The Snapdragon X65 also features an upgradable architecture, making it possible to deliver new features proposed in 3GPP’s Release 16 to be quickly rolled out via software updates.

Qualcomm says the Snapdragon X65 modem will power a variety of use cases and form factors, including smartphones, PCs, mobile hotspots, industrial IoT, fixed wireless access, and private networks.

Alongside the Snapdragon X65, Qualcomm is also announcing a watered-down version in the form of the Snapdragon X62. The Snapdragon X62 is built on a 4nm process and offers carrier aggregation across sub-6GHz and mmWave bands with peak download speeds of 4.4 Gbps.

The Snapdragon X65 and X62 are currently sampling to OEMs, with commercial devices featuring the new modems expected to hit the market by 2021.

Qualcomm QTM545 mmWave antenna module, QE7100 Wideband Envelop Tracker, AI-Enhanced Signal Boost

With the launch of the Snapdragon X65 and X62 modems, Qualcomm is also adding several new RF front-end solutions to its portfolio, including a new mmWave antenna module, QE7100 Wideband Envelop Tracker, AI-Enhanced Signal Boost, and more.

The Qualcomm QTM545 is the second-gen mmWave antenna module. It adds support for the new n259 (42GHz) band, improves the mmWave coverage, and supports higher transmit power while maintaining the same footprint as its predecessor.

Qualcomm says its 7th-gen Wideband Envelop Tracker (QE7100) is 30% more power-efficient than competitors and supports full 100Hz bandwidth for new 5G bands and LTE.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm AI-Enhanced Signal Boost offers an adaptive antenna tuning solution with the help of artificial intelligence. The solution uses an AI-trained model to track the user’s handgrip around the phone and optimizes the antennas in real-time for better coverage and longer battery life.

Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 2

Finally, the company also announced 2nd-gen Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform, enabling mobile operators to offer fixed broadband services to homes and businesses using their 5G infrastructure. The new platform is powered by the Snapdragon X65 modem and features the latest Qualcomm 547b mmWave module to deliver download speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The platform supports extended-range high power sub-6GHz 5G and comes with 8 receive antennas for improved network coverage.

For Fixed Wireless Access devices that solely rely on 4G networks, Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon X12+ LTE modem, with up to 600 Mbps download speeds.

The 2nd gen Qualcomm 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform is expected to arrive in commercial devices in the first half of 2022.