Qualcomm's an industry leader when it comes to making 5G modems for mobile devices, and so far, its offerings have been in the most prominent smartphones. Following the Snapdragon X50 and X55, Qualcomm is launching the Snapdragon X60, which it says is the world's first 5-nanometer 5G baseband, as well as the first to offer millimeter wave-sub-6 aggregation. The company promises that the X60 will help networks lift 5G peak speeds based on the available spectrum, and that it will enable operators to increase capacity and coverage.
The X50 and X55 were capable of supporting speeds up to 5 Gbps and 7 Gbps respectively. The X60, meanwhile, will hit up to 7.5 Gbps, with Qualcomm promising double the peak data rates in sub-6 in standalone mode.
With the new 5nm baseband, the X60 should offer better power efficiency in addition to a smaller footprint. The modem also uses Qualcomm's new third-generation QTM535 mmwave antenna module, which is physically narrower than the last-gen QTM525, which should help it take up less space in small, thin phones. The company also said the antenna will provide better mmwave performance.
Importantly, the QTM535 is compatible with global bands, so your 5G device can tap the speediest networks even when you travel around the world. Also, by supporting mmwave-sub-5 aggregation, as well as sub-6 carrier aggregation across the FDD and TDD band types, the Snapdragon X60 offers the most comprehensive support in a 5G modem so far.