Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X80 and FastConnect 7900 chips take 5G and Wi-Fi technology to new heights thanks to the power of AI.
It’s that time of year again when Qualcomm ushers in its next generation of 5G modem technology. Announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC ) 2024, this year’s Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system is the successor to last year’s Snapdragon X75, and it builds on the 5G Advanced foundation laid last year with more raw power and new AI features.
While the Snapdragon X75 moved the needle by adding support for the latest 5G Advanced standards, we’re still in that fourth phase of 5G technology, otherwise known as 3GPP Release 18 — and most carrier networks are still catching up. So, with no new standards to embrace, Qualcomm has focused on improving the inside of the Snapdragon X80 to take even fuller advantage of these cutting-edge 5G technologies.The magic of AI-powered 5G
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip uses last year’s Snapdragon X75 modem. While it packs in new generative AI capabilities, those are focused on powering things like Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite of user-facing features found on this year’s Galaxy S24 lineup.
Qualcomm dabbled with some AI features in the X75. But by adding a dedicated AI tensor accelerator to the chip for the first time, the Snapdragon X80 is Qualcomm’s first attempt to truly harness the power of AI to dynamically tune how a 5G modem works. This year’s AI tensor accelerator powers the Qualcomm 5G AI Suite Gen 3, which the company says “intelligently enhances data speeds, quality of service (QoS), latency, coverage, and power efficiency.” In other words, all the things that make a 5G chip deliver top-notch performance.
Specifically, the AI will handle things like network selection to ensure that your smartphone or other device is more likely to link up with the best towers and bands, as well as more intelligently balance power efficiency and fast performance with on-device machine learning that analyzes how you use your device and the 5G networks and frequencies that typically surround you.
For example, while it makes sense to connect to the nearest 5G tower when your smartphone is dormant, during periods of peak congestion, it can take more power to get the kind of 5G speeds you need for streaming 4K video or transferring large files. In those scenarios, connecting to a less busy tower that’s farther away can be more efficient and save battery life.
