Qualcomm: Snapdragon X70 5G and not only at MWC 2022

The conference of Qualcomm at MWC 2022 – in progress in these hours – brought with it several announcements from the US chipmaker, illustrating one novelty series that go to to complete those already shown at the end of 2021 during the Snapdragon Tech Summit.

The US company has in fact returned to talk about Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, the solution dedicated to the world of Windows computers based on ARM architecture, but in this respect no particularly noteworthy news has been released compared to what had already been formalized.

The Qualcomm conference focused on other aspects such as 5G – both modem and network infrastructures -, automotive and on the ever-growing role of Qualcomm within various industrial sectors, thanks to the development of ad hoc solutions designed for large companies. businesses. But let’s go in order.

The first important news concerns the announcement of the new modem Snapdragon X70 5Ga fifth generation solution that aims to integrate components of artificial intelligence also in this field. As for connectivity, X70 allows you to reach maximum speeds of 10 Gbps in download and 3.5 Gbps in upload and it is the first 5G modem to offer a single integrated system capable of fully managing all the frequencies of the new generation networks, from sub 6 GHz (between 0.6 and 6 GHz) to the entire spectrum of millimeter waves (from 24 at 41 GHz), as well as supporting the technology Dual SIM Dual Active globally.

On the front of AI integration – a real flagship of Snapdragon X70 5G -, Qualcomm has aimed to introduce a series of innovations that significantly change the way in which different aspects of connectivity on mobile devices are managed. For example, Snapdragon X70 leverages artificial intelligence algorithms for the intelligent management of radio channels and use of antennasgoing to improve the way they come optimized the data exchanged.

The aim is to always use the most stable network configuration based on the available conditions, also thanks to the real-time optimization of the way in which the workload it is distributed among the various antennas. Improvements also in terms of consumption, given that the integration of the third generation PowerSave technology promises an increase in energy efficiency of 60%.

Still on the connectivity theme, Qualcomm also announced the first communication platform based on Wi-Fi 7, a technology on which the company has been strongly pushing in recent months. This is the new Fast Connect 7800a system that allows you to aggregate up to 4 5/6 GHz Wi-Fi bands to ensure the achievement of speed and stability higher than what has been possible until now.

The platform aims to maximize the performance of the devices on which it is equipped thanks to the simultaneity of multiple high-frequency data streams, introducing tangible improvements in all those contexts where bandwidth and low latency can make a difference, such as the cloud gaming, 4 / 8K streaming, the use of AR and XR devices and the creation of content, but not only.

Using a multiple connection based on 5 and 6 GHz networks it is possible to achieve one Theoretical maximum speed of 5.8 Gbps, while switching to 4.3 Gbps when 6 GHz is not available, all with an average latency of 2 ms and no jitter. To achieve these results, Fast Connect 7800 aims to completely overcome the use of the 2.4 GHz network, thus going to use only the most modern and fast solutions, but this does not sanction a complete abandonment of the older network, given that compatibility continues to exist.

News also on the front audiothanks to the announcement of Qualcomm S3 and S5 chips dedicated to products such as bluetooth speakers and headphones. At the moment it is not clear what the real differences are between S3 (QCC307x) and S5 (QCC517x), since all the data shared by Qualcomm seems to generally concern what is defined as the new Snapdragon Sound platform, in which the new ones are included chip.

The focus of S3 and S5 is however to offer new generation platforms capable of supporting all the latest technologies, including the Bluetooth 5.3 LEaudio playback in lossless format 16-bit 44.1 kHz and in high definition a 24bit 96kHz and 24bit 48kHzsupport for the stereo recording through all microphones of headphones, low latency in games (68 ms), improved active and adaptive noise cancellation and a average consumption reduction of 20% compared to the doubling of AI performance.

Among the features possible thanks to the Bluetooth 5.3 support we find the possibility to share the audio to an unlimited number of bluetooth accessories simultaneously and in a protected manner.

Qualcomm has announced some news for the automotive sector and also in this case it is a platform. More precisely we are talking about Snapdragon Digital Chassisa series dhardware and software solutions that will allow car manufacturers to integrate increasingly advanced hardware to manage aspects such as assisted driving, the various cloud functions of vehicles and so on.

Cars are also preparing to take advantage of some of the technologies we have already seen in other sectors, such as support for Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E introduced by the new chip QCA6698AQ. The main solutions of the Digital Chassis package will be available fromearly 2022but the platform is constantly updated and should gradually evolve over the following months.

Finally, Qualcomm announced a strategic partnership that brings the company increasingly to the center of the IoT world and the creation of solutions dedicated to the business world. In this case the partner is Gridspertisea company controlled by Enel that deals with creating innovative solutions for the modernization of the electricity grid in view of the ecological transition.

Gridspertise has developed what is referred to as a Quantum Edge device (image above), that is an all in one device that virtualizes and manages all the main aspects of the network, making it more effective and sustainable. In this case, Qualcomm’s role is that of supplier of the technologies underlying the QEd, including the octa core CPU based on ARM architecture, connectivity systems (both 5G and via optical fiber) and all the AI ​​component that deals with actual management of many device functions.