In its push towards allowing OEMs to develop enhanced 5G devices, Qualcomm Technologies, has been offering world’s first commercial 5G chipset solutions that includes a modem, RF transceiver and RF Front-end. Now, the company has introduced a name for these differentiated solutions, the Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems, marking a clear paradigm shift to a system-level approach that is critical for high performance 5G and wide scale deployment.
According to Durga Malladi, Senior VP and General Manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Qualcomm recognized that enabling 5G requires an evolved design strategy, and that a component-focused approach is no longer sufficient to achieve the device or network performance that users and operators expect. The company thus adopted a systems paradigm and invested early-on in developing the mobile industry’s first comprehensive solution spanning from modem to RF front-end to antenna. This holistic systems approach allows for unique techniques and optimizations that drive high 5G performance and power-efficiency while maintaining ease of design for our customers.
The Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System is the flagship solution the company offers today. It features the world’s most advanced commercial 5G modem, RF transceiver, RF front-end, millimeter wave (mmWave) antenna modules and software framework for advanced power-saving and performance-enhancing 5G technologies. The systems are built from the ground up to address some of the most difficult 5G challenges such as mobile mmWave, 5G power efficiency and ease of design, enabling rapid expansion of 5G adoption globally, across product segments including smartphones, fixed wireless access, 5G PCs, tablets, mobile hotspots, XR devices and automotive.
To date there are more than 150 5G designs launched or in development using Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems. Currently, they are unmatched in powering smartphones across all regions, including Australia, China, Europe, Middle East, South Korea and the US. A modem-RF system is also integrated into the Snapdragon 7 Series 5G mobile platform announced today to further accelerate global 5G roll-outs.
Having all the key pieces of the system in-house allows Qualcomm Technologies to co-design the hardware and software across all sub-components of the system and use the modem’s intelligence to innovate advanced technologies and optimization techniques. These innovations include achieving
- 5G mmWave in mobile
- 5G extended-range mmWave CPE
- Qualcomm Smart Transmit technology for optimal uplink throughput while meeting transmission limits
- Qualcomm 5G PowerSave for superior receive power efficiency
- Qualcomm Wideband Envelope Tracking for superior transmit power efficiency and network performance
- efficient high-power UE (HPUE) implementation for extended coverage with long battery life
- 5G multi-SIM, a tunable multi-antenna management system
- Qualcomm Signal Boost dynamic antenna tuning for higher throughput, call reliability and network coverage.
The Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System is currently shipping to OEM customers and it is scheduled to be in commercial devices including 5G smartphones, laptops, customer-premise equipment for fixed wireless access, mobile hotspots, routers and automotive products, beginning in late 2019.
