Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 5G Modem To Deliver Blazing 10Gbps Speeds For Next-Gen Phones

The Snapdragon X65 represents a complete modem-to-antenna solution that supports the impending 3GPP Release 16 specification. Qualcomm also explains that its new solution is software updatable, which will allow it to take advantage of new features as they are developed. However, it will be up to device OEMs to allow this capability, and that might be a tough slog considering how stingy some of them are with Android OS updates.

Also, part of the package is the QTM545 mmWave antenna module that can support higher transmit power while occupying the same footprint as its predecessor. It adds support for the new 41GHz n259 band and supports all [current] global mmWave frequencies for optimum compatibility no matter where you travel. Qualcomm has also implemented AI tweaks in hardware to improve overall 5G wireless performance and efficiency via Smart Transit 2.0 and PowerSave 2.0 technologies.

When you put all this together, the Snapdragon X65 can deliver data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, which is an improvement over the 7.5Gbps currently possible with the Snapdragon X60. We must caution, however, that these are theoretical speeds, and we don't know of any current 5G mobile networks that support 10Gbps speeds or even 7.5Gbps speeds. But you can at least rest assured that the Snapdragon X65 is future-proofed when and if those capabilities are unleashed. Current public networks can hit over 2Gbps (Verizon, mmWave), so there's still room for growth.

“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," said Qualcomm president and CEO-elect Cristiano Amon.

According to Qualcomm, the first products using Snapdragon X65 will arrive on the market during the latter half of 2021.