Qualcomm Bows Snapdragon 5G Module for OEMs; Launches Next-Gen Mobile Platform

Qualcomm announced a Snapdragon 5G module for smartphone OEMs looking to commercialize 5G in smartphones and major verticals quickly. It lets manufacturers combine a “few simple modules” for designs rather than using "more than a thousand components," said Qualcomm at Mobile World Congress Tuesday. Modules cover digital, RF, connectivity and front-end functionality, and key components include an application processor, baseband modem, memory, power management integrated circuit RF front-end, antennas and passive components. Sampling is due in 2019. Qualcomm unveiled its next Snapdragon mobile platform, the 700 series, with an artificial intelligence engine promising twice the performance of the 660 series. The 700 platform -- with a hexagon vector processor, Adreno visual processing subsystem, and Kryo CPU -- uses heterogeneous computing to capture and share videos, learn voice and speech and extend power efficiency by up to 30 percent, said the company. Additional features: Quick Charge 4+ technology, said to be capable of a 50 percent charge in 15 minutes, and Bluetooth 5. Commercial samples are expected in first half 2018.