- Qualcomm presents its new 5G modem, the Snapdragon X75
- Compared to the modem of 2022, this one reduces energy consumption by 20%
- This component should equip the processor of Android flagships in 2024, but Apple is also a Qualcomm customer
Qualcomm presents its new 5G chip. And one of the main advantages of this new component, which will soon equip smartphones, is that it reduces the energy used by the connection to mobile networks. The impact this will have on our smartphones should be significant, especially for those who use mobile data constantly (or almost).
Today, if you’re using a 5G smartphone, whether it’s iOS or Android, chances are you’re using a Qualcomm modem. The American company is Apple’s only 5G modem supplier. And these modems are also built into Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, used by most high-end Android devices.
For future smartphones with Snapdragon chip
As a result, the novelties offered by Qualcomm impact a large part of the industry. And precisely, this week, Qualcomm presents its new 5G chip: the Snapdragon X75 modem. Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon X70, this one includes quite a few new features. As our colleagues from Android Authority explain, the chip converges the two types of 5G (mmWave and Sub-6) in a single module.
© Qualcomm
Thanks to this, the modem takes up less space (which may allow for the inclusion of larger batteries) and also consumes less energy. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X70 modem would consume 20% less energy. Of course, this is a theoretical value. But as Android Authority notes, even a 10% reduction would already be significant.
For Android flagships, and iPhones?
And while reducing energy consumption, the new chip also improves the quality of the connection, in particular thanks to a new IA (to find the network) 2.5 times more efficient. The only downside is that at the moment, no smartphone uses Qualcomm’s new 5G chip.
But it’s a safe bet that this chip will be integrated into the next generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors for Android smartphones. Normally, this new generation will be presented before the end of the year, and will equip the Android flagships of 2024, like the successor to the Galaxy S23 Ultra. And as this processor should also consume less energy (thanks to 3 nm engraving, for example), the next smartphones could gain a lot in autonomy.
For Apple fans, we can hope that the Cupertino company will also choose this Qualcomm modem for its next iPhone. But for its part, the Cupertino company is also developing its own 5G modems, in order to no longer depend on this supplier. In any case, it’s a good thing that Qualcomm has looked into the energy consumption of 5G. Generally, improvements in energy efficiency come from other elements, such as the CPU or GPU.
