Qualcomm Modem-RF Systems to Drive 5G Adoption in Midrange Phones: ABI

Qualcomm will accelerate 5G adoption in mid-range smartphones with its modem-RF systems, ABI Research analyst Malik Saadi emailed Wednesday. Calling the Snapdragon 765 platform a “milestone,” Saadi said Qualcomm will have an edge on competitors MediaTek and Unisoc, which aren’t expected to hit the market before second half 2020. The X52 modem-RF system design is 100 percent based on Qualcomm’s chips, including modem, antenna and RF components, meaning OEM partners won’t have to go through complex RF procurement processes involving different RF chip suppliers. The system-level design approach adopted in Snapdragon X52 could help improve the overall connectivity performance of the platform and lower its power consumption compared with assembling various RF components from multiple vendors, Saadi said. Most competitors, including MediaTek, Unisoc, Hisilicon, Samsung and Apple, still lack key RF components, he said. Tuesday, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon told the Snapdragon Tech Summit (see 1912030044) 2020 will be the year 5G reaches scale, with an expected 200 million subscribers globally. Qualcomm forecasts 2.8 billion 5G “connections” will be at play by 2025, he said. “It’s really going to be a much faster transition than what we have seen in prior generations of wireless.”