Qualcomm announces X80 5G modem, FastConnect 7900 connectivity system

Qualcomm’s latest flagship 5G modem is all about pairing blazing-fast 5G speeds with AI and expanding support for satellite connectivity. The X80 5G modem is the maker’s seventh generation 5G modem for smartphones, extended reality (XR) devices, PCs, vehicles and industrial IoT devices and features a dedicated AI processor.

Qualcomm’s latest flagship Snapdragon modem boasts a dedicated 5G AI processor with a tensor accelerator which promises enhanced data speeds, coverage and power efficiency while decreasing latency. The onboard 5G AI Suite Gen 3 brings AI enhancements which should help with coverage and location accuracy. Qualcomm is claiming 10% lower power draw when connected to a mmWave network and 30% improved location accuracy.

Snapdragon X80 is the first 5G modem with fully integrated narrowband (NB) to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) satellite communications support. This means we should see more flagship smartphones with support for satellite connectivity launching later this year.

Peak download speeds are rated at 10 Gbps while uploads should hit a theoretical 3.5 Gbps with support for both 5G mmWave (10 carrier aggregation) and sub-6 GHz (5 carrier aggregation) frequencies. X80 also brings 6 receiver antenna architecture and is the first 5G modem with 6x downlink carrier aggregation and AI-based mmWave range extension. X80 uses the same QTM565 mmWave antenna as the Snapdragon X75 modem.

Qualcomm is currently sampling the X80 5G modem to partner OEMs with commercial devices expected to launch in the second half of 2024.

Qualcomm also announced its FastConnect 7900 mobile connectivity system – the first to integrate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband connectivity in a single 6nm chip. It supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard with up to 5.8 Gbps peak speeds as well as the Bluetooth 5.4 standard with spatial audio, and ANT+ support.

The module also leverages AI enhancements which deliver optimized latency and power draw while adapting to specific use cases and environments. Qualcomm claims up to 40% lower power usage than the previous FastConnect 7800 module.

Qualcomm is also touting proximity awareness capabilities with Wi-Fi ranging, and Bluetooth channel sounding. FastConnect 7900 supports the Expanded Personal Area Network Technology (XPAN) and Snapdragon Seamless for linking multiple devices running various operating systems with intelligent audio switching and proximal discovery of devices.

The Wi-Fi chip supports the High Band Simultaneous (HBS) standard for instant connectivity between devices and accessories with low latency.

Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 is expected to launch commercially in the second half of 2024.