Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 Modem Upgraded With Wider mmWave Coverage Ahead of Inclusion in 2022 iPhones

[MacRumors]

Qualcomm today announced it has upgraded its Snapdragon X65 5G modem with improved power efficiency and support for wider mmWave carriers, a key requirement ahead of the rollout of 5G mmWave networks in China.

Specifically, the modem now supports wider 200MHz carrier bandwidth in the mmWave spectrum and mmWave in standalone (SA) mode, while new power-saving technologies part of Qualcomm 5G PowerSave 2.0 allow for longer battery life. These enhancements are possible because the Snapdragon X65 has software-upgradable architecture, allowing for improvements to be made to the modem over time.

First introduced in February, the Snapdragon X65 is the world's first 10 Gigabit 5G modem and antenna system for smartphones, enabling theoretical data speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X65 in 2022 iPhones, as part of a multiyear chipset supply agreement with Qualcomm, building on the Snapdragon X55 in the iPhone 12 lineup and likely the Snapdragon X60 in the iPhone 13 lineup.

As with the Snapdragon X60, the Snapdragon X65 can aggregate data from mmWave and sub-6GHz bands simultaneously to achieve an optimal combination of high-speed and low-latency coverage, resulting in an improved 5G experience on the iPhone.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. mmWave support on iPhone 12 models is limited to the United States, but rumors suggest that iPhone 13 models may support mmWave in additional countries.

The Snapdragon X65 could be the last Qualcomm modem used in iPhones, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources have forecasted that Apple may be ready to switch to its rumored in-house 5G modem for iPhones starting in 2023.

Article Link: Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 Modem Upgraded With Wider mmWave Coverage Ahead of Inclusion in 2022 iPhones

 

[McKodiak]

What will this year's iPhone be rolling out with?

 

[ghostface147]

What will this year's iPhone be rolling out with?

Exactly what it says in the article.

 

[pianostar9]

[redacted]

 

[mozumder]

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is. You need access points on top of every street light, and that's not going to happen in the suburbs. And then there's the attenuation from walls, ruining things for anyone indoors. There are very limited use cases for mmWave, such as sporting arenas or concerts.

 

[SactoGuy18]

What will this year's iPhone be rolling out with?

According to this article, the iPhone models this year will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X60, then in 2022 the Snapdragon X65. Will switch to Apple (née formerly Intel) designed modems in 2023.

 

[SactoGuy18]

mozumder, neither do the telecoms in South Korea and Japan. They're all focused on mid-band 3GPP NR 5G, where the top speed is about 1 gigabit per second for short periods.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I thought Apple was moving towards producing it's own chip for iPhones?

 

[pianostar9]

I thought Apple was moving towards producing it's own chip for iPhones?

The Snapdragon X65 could be the last Qualcomm modem used in iPhones, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources have forecasted that Apple may be ready to switch to its rumored in-house 5G modem for iPhones starting in 2023.

 

[guzhogi]

the Snapdragon X65 is the world's first 10 Gigabit 5G modem and antenna system for smartphones, enabling theoretical data speeds up to 10 gigabits per second.

US wireless providers have a lot of infrastructure to upgrade to even remotely get anywhere near these speeds. I wouldn't be surprised if some places get maybe 1/1000 this speed.

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is. You need access points on top of every street light, and that's not going to happen in the suburbs. And then there's the attenuation from walls, ruining things for anyone indoors. There are very limited use cases for mmWave, such as sporting arenas or concerts.

That's a problem, too. I live in a fairly affluent neighborhood that doesn't want the "eye sore" of antennas everywhere. For sporting events/arenas, that adds another layer of issues. That many people that densely packed in one place will get lousy service.

 

[citysnaps]

I thought Apple was moving towards producing it's own chip for iPhones?

As much as I like Apple and have immense respect for what they've created regarding M-series processor chips, I'm skeptical they'll be able to produce modem chips that will outperform or equal Qualcomm's.

 

[nsayer]

For what it's worth, I've had a few experiences with mm5G. I passed through the Salt Lake City airport and while there did some testing with it and it was phenomenal. I can genuinely say that it was better than our gigabit home internet connection over Ethernet.

I also searched out the nearest spot from home where it's active. It's kind of an odd choice. It's centered on a local strip club, so it would seem. I didn't go in, but from across the street and a few doors down, it was definitely in the gigabit range, though not as good as it was at SLC.

As for 5G itself, I find that it's definitely better than LTE in the places where I go (south SF Bay and South Reno) - usually about twice as fast if I run a speed test.

All that said, cellular connectivity has in general become a binary thing for me. It either works just fine or it doesn't work at all. There's not really a middle ground anymore.

 

[WiseAJ]

As much as I like Apple and have immense respect for what they've created regarding M-series processor chips, I'm skeptical they'll be able to produce modem chips that will outperform or equal Qualcomm's.

Everyone thought the same thing when they started making the chips for iPhones and look where we are now. I wouldn't bet against Apple.

 

[GeoStructural]

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is.

Nailed it.

And the same can be applied to other services: water conduction, electricity, public transportation... spread out development is not the best way to go, but I live in Texas and every time I mention it I get that horrible look... People here want their big trucks and SUVs that they can barely drive parked on their front porch, and to drive miles and miles to go anywhere.

 

[jz0309]

As much as I like Apple and have immense respect for what they've created regarding M-series processor chips, I'm skeptical they'll be able to produce modem chips that will outperform or equal Qualcomm's.

I think they can, but it will take time, and the first iteration of their own modem will not be able to do that.
I do believe that Apple will release their 1st modem in 2022/23 timeframe, but it will not go into an iPhone, unless their would be a true budget iPhone coming. I think that mainstream iPhone will get Apple modems not before 2024/25.

 

[Böhme417]

It would be nice if the providers in the US would catch up on their service that makes these newer modems greatly underutilized. 5G has been no better for me than LTE. In many cases, it has been worse. mmWave seems like a novelty. Even in an open field that is supposedly blanketed in wideband, I can simply turn around to block the signal. Yeah, it’s great that I can get download speeds of 3+ Gbps, but uploads never break 100 Mbps, and latency is atrocious at over 100 ms sometimes. I don’t know how some people can claim that this is suitable for home internet. Fiber still kicks 5G’s ass.

 

[jz0309]

I thought Apple was moving towards producing it's own chip for iPhones?

they are, you just have to be patient ...

 

[anthover]

As much as I like Apple and have immense respect for what they've created regarding M-series processor chips, I'm skeptical they'll be able to produce modem chips that will outperform or equal Qualcomm's.

I think everyone misunderstands. Apple Licenced Qualcomm IP and modems both for 6 years with rights to renew. The main benefit apple will have is adding the modem to its own chip set with CPU/GPU/RAM and other compute units which will produce less power drain and lower latency. Will Apple ever make something better stricly on modem tech itself perhaps, but does not matter. Apple had to licence the IP and modems and did. The intel purchase is more about expertise in modem tech and some patents as well. Technology evolves and perhaps apple can contribute or have its own IP that provides benefits for future cell standards but they will always need licenses for older/existing standards.

 

[jz0309]

Everyone thought the same thing when they started making the chips for iPhones and look where we are now. I wouldn't bet against Apple.

it's not betting against Apple ... but it will take time, more than people have the patience for ...

 

[jz0309]

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is. You need access points on top of every street light, and that's not going to happen in the suburbs. And then there's the attenuation from walls, ruining things for anyone indoors. There are very limited use cases for mmWave, such as sporting arenas or concerts.

agree for the most part, but it will "spread" once infrastructure prices come down significantly

 

[applicious84]

I will never trust a processor that I can't hold with my fingers

 

[jlocker]

I love the Qualcomm XR VR chip that is in the Oculus Quest 2. It made VR portable and fun all at the same time.

 

[Jetscreamer]

Definitely waiting for the 14 for that X65. I’ll let Apple work out any bugs on their first gen modem before I invest in one.

 

[LoggerMN]

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is. You need access points on top of every street light, and that's not going to happen in the suburbs. And then there's the attenuation from walls, ruining things for anyone indoors. There are very limited use cases for mmWave, such as sporting arenas or concerts.

It does seem like a special case solution for high density events / areas, but I have received notice of Verizon installing APs on nearby light poles in my suburban neighborhood. I wonder if this is more of a play that will let them offer fixed antenna home internet connections, which can be placed to avoid the attenuation problems. It's been a couple years and they haven't turned them on yet. I expect they want robust coverage before offering service to avoid too many failed setups. Also, If I was doing that, I'd want to wait until I knew I could do a fast roll out to many customers very quickly, to make it harder for Comcast to react.

 

[bodonnell202]

I don't see mmWave ever being viable in the US given how suburban US society is. You need access points on top of every street light, and that's not going to happen in the suburbs. And then there's the attenuation from walls, ruining things for anyone indoors. There are very limited use cases for mmWave, such as sporting arenas or concerts.

I think the purpose of mmWave is mostly to maximize bandwidth in areas were there is high density, including stadiums and urban centers - it's unlikely we would see it rolled out in the suburbs.