Qualcommโs new modem-RF system is the first of its kind to use AI to maximize 5G coverage and speed. | Image: Qualcomm
Qualcomm is using Mobile World Congress to show off some new technology that should improve 5G connectivity and wireless audio. These new capabilities โ and the chips that make them possible โ are likely to land in the next generation of earbuds and high-end Android phones starting in the second half of this year.
The Snapdragon X70 5G modem-RF system attempts to improve your phoneโs 5G connection with the help of an AI processor. This helps it maximize 5G signal for better coverage โ particularly important for mmWave signals which are short-range compared to the broader coverage of low and mid-band frequencies. Qualcomm says this improvement is limited to situations like stadiums and city blocks, and that it doesnโt address one of mmWaveโs key weaknesses: the signalโs inability to travel from outdoors to indoors. But where thereโs no mmWave signal, the new AI processor should boost sub-6GHz coverage and speeds, too.
The new audio features, wrapped up in a platform called Snapdragon Sound, include a feature teased last year: wireless earbud support for 16-bit โCD-qualityโ lossless audio over Bluetooth. Thereโs also a gaming mode with 68ms latency โ 25 percent lower than Qualcommโs current technology. Another addition is the ability to record in stereo through a pair of earbuds. The companyโs latest adaptive active noise cancellation technology is also included.