In 2016 the US-based chipset manufacturer, Qualcomm, announced the X50 5G modem which, combined with the Snapdragon 855 processor, would make 5G available to a whole bunch of smartphones. Now, the company revealed the so-called Qualcomm X55 modem which would accelerate 5G network adoption.
As regularly, the upcoming Qualcomm X55 would boast a series of improved technical specs and features in comparison with the X50 modem. However, the most noteworthy improvement would be that Qualcomm X55 would support both mmWave and sub-6 GHz spectrum bands, meaning that it would be a 5G to 2G multimode modem, as MobileSyrup reported.
That, at its turn, means that the future smartphones with Qualcomm X55 won’t require a separate modem for 4G, 3G, and so on networks in the regions where 5G is not yet available. That would be excellent in terms of production costs and reliability of the upcoming devices featuring Qualcomm X55 modem.
Qualcomm X55 Modem Would Accelerate 5G Network Adoption
“Contrast this to upcoming X50-equipped smartphones which will include both the company’s X24 LTE modem (via the Snapdragon 855) and the X50. Qualcomm didn’t specifically say whether it plans to integrate the X55 into its next flagship mobile chipset (presumably called the Snapdragon 865), but I think it’s safe to say that’s the company’s end goal with the X55,” reported Igor Bonifacic from MobileSyrup.
Besides, Qualcomm X55 would be a modem that plans to stay long on the market since it supports both Standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) networks, as well as both TDD and FDD operation modes.
That would mean Qualcomm X55 will be able to connect to every 5G network, present or future, as well as to any other standard without needing an additional modem to achieve the connection. Also, in short, Qualcomm X55 would be supporting 5G download and upload speeds of 7 Gbps and, respectively, 3 Gbps, while it would also support LTE download speeds of 2.5 Gbps.
