Qualcomm has introduced its latest 5G modem, the Snapdragon X65, a chip that’s very likely to allow Apple’s 2022 iPhone to deliver cellular speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Malcolm Owen for AppleInsider:
The Snapdragon X65 is a 5G-compatable modem that follows on from the previous model, the Snapdragon X60. The fourth-generation modem is claimed to be the first to reach 10-gigabit 5G connection speeds, which can potentially mean faster downloads to consumers if carrier conditions are favorable.
The modem is also the first 3GPP Release 16 modem-RF system, supporting the latest specification from 3GPP that offers various improvements to cellular connectivity.
There is also the bold claim of it having the world’s first “AI antenna tuning technology,” which could further enhance connectivity. By using AI, Qualcomm claims it can detect hand grips with 30% more accuracy, allowing the modem to switch antennas for better signal.
Apple is almost certain to use the modem in a future iPhone, but its schedule for production and legal filings discussing the Qualcomm release timeline make it certain that it will appear in the 2022 model, rather than the 2021 releases. The X60 is anticipated to appear in the upcoming “iPhone 13” models.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple has begun building their own internal cellular modem for future devices, a move that would replace components from Qualcomm, Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, told staff in a virtual meeting last December. If the 2022 iPhone does indeed use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65, 2023 could be the first year iPhone uses Apple’s homegrown modem.
10 Gbps? Why? Why spend the power/battery life to do that?
The highest quality UHD (also commonly, yet incorrectly, called “4K”) Blu-ray bit rate is about 100 Mbps. This data rate (10 Gbps) is 100x that. Sure, you could download a 100 minute, highest quality UHD movie in just one minute, but why would you try to view that level of quality on your phone?
Mildly compressed Digital Cinema 8K (not the pseudo “8K” UHD standard) with 12 bits per color per pixel and 7.2 sound is still under 0.5 Gbps. Hell, even moderately compressed Digital Cinema 16K is only about 1.7 Gbps, and that’s not likely to get out of the lab for several years to come.
The only possible use I can imagine is if you use your iPhone as a WiFi hotspot.
Normally I’m a strong proponent of high bandwidth communications, e.g., I believe the U.S. FCC should define broadband as a minimum of 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up, and I’d prefer if they’d set the minimum for being called broadband as double those figures both up and down.
Besides, think about data caps. If you get a clear connection you’ll hit whatever data cap you have in a few hours at most and maybe in minutes.
Yes. I know it’s a shared TDMA/FDMA/MIMO connection, but still…
10 Gbps over a cellular connection? Why?
Just for marketing hype? Given that “carrier conditions” will never allow anyway – at least until many years after this 2-years-out chip has come and gone?
If running in reality as limited by “carrier conditions,” I assume power draw is reduced proportionally? Perhaps the faster theoretical max speed even corresponds to better efficiency at real-life speeds?