Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X35, a new type of 5G modem. This is the first 5G NR-light modem. What will this technology change specifically?
Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon X35 5G modem. This is the world’s first 5G NR-Light modem. A brief tour of explanations
What is 5G NR-Light?
5G NR-Light is part of 5G NR Release 17 under the term ” reduced capacity or RedCap, a revision of the 5G standard published by 3GPP in 2022. Its goal is simple: to bring 5G to new devices that are less complex and consume less energy. We’re talking about 5G here, which will be easy to integrate into devices. wearable as connected watches, home automation sensors or even surveillance cameras.
As its name indicates, it is still a 5G” light » with a more limited number of antennas per device and a reduced frequency spectrum. This also helps reduce power consumption and makes it easier to integrate into more compact devices.
The Snapdragon X35 5G
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X35 5G is the first modem on the market to follow these specifications. The manufacturer foresees a future range of 5G devices that integrate laptops, home automation objects, watches or even mixed reality glasses. Without disclosing its prices, the manufacturer also insists that its modem should allow for integration into devices at affordable prices.
Regarding the technical characteristics, the Snapdragon X35 5G promises a speed of 220 Mb/s for download and 100 Mb/s for sending. The modem is also backward compatible with 4G LTE, VoLTE and VoNR. Finally, Qualcomm announces support for GNSS location (L1+L5).
Manufacturers will have access to the Snapdragon X35 throughout 2023, but the first products to market with this modem should not arrive before the beginning of 2024.
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