5G seems like the only thing carriers can talk about these days and with good reason. The technology promises to change the way we can use our devices. Today (18-February), the chip maker Qualcomm has just announced the third generation of its 5G modem, called the Snapdragon X60. One of the big new features is mmWave-sub6 aggregation, and Qualcomm says that the feature allows for a maximum throughput of 5.5Gbps.
It’s the first 5G modem built on a 5nm node and enables up to 7.5 Gbps download and 3Gbps upload speeds while supporting both mmWave and Sub-6 versions of 5G connectivity. Like the X55 before it, the X60 works on both TDD and FDD networks for truly global 5G support. In addition, the new modem also supports 4G LTE as well as legacy 3G and 2G bands. The big focus with the Snapdragon X60 is the continued development of 5G, helping carriers move from non-standalone to standalone 5G. Along with being built on a 5nm process - while the Snapdragon X55 was 7nm processor- Qualcomm announced the smaller QTM535 mmWave antenna module.
This is also important to the evolution of 5G because a smaller antenna means that it can fit into thinner and sleeker form factors. Another new addition is dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), which will allow carriers to repurpose LTE bands for higher network speeds and accelerate 5G deployment. Furthermore, there is also a Voice over new radio (VoNR) new feature, which brings standalone high-quality voice service over 5G. The new Qualcomm X60 5G modem is expected to use on devices starting early 2021.
Related: Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon 720G, SD662, and SD460 SoC with Wi-Fi 6