Qualcomm unveiled the new Snapdragon X24 LTE modem for smartphones that promises to deliver download speeds of up to 2Gbps. The modem has been manufactured using a 7nm FinFET process, which is a first. While it’s still unlikely to achieve such speeds in real life, the modem paves the way for 5G connectivity by adding support for up to seven carrier aggregation.
At peak speeds, the modem is twice as fast as Qualcomm’s previous gigabit LTE modem and even surpasses Samsung’s modem in its latest Exynos chipsets that supported up to six carrier aggregation. The X24 modem also supports 4X4 MIMO antenna arrays on five LTE carriers, that pegs the theoretical maximum to 20 concurrent LTE streams.
The X24 modem will allow smartphones to connect to the entire range of 4G spectrum bands which can increase the overall connectivity over and above the present benchmark.
While Qualcomm also announced the X50 5G modem, the X24 modem will improve 4G speeds by a lot. 5G is still some time away and while the world prepares for it, a boost in LTE speeds will be a welcome move. Additionally, even if 5G arrives soon, congested areas will still get LTE networks and the new modem will ensure the transition remains less painful for users.
Qualcomm said that the modem will show up in smartphones some time near the end of 2018 and that the it will work aside the Snapdragon X50 5G modem in 4G/5G devices when 5G devices start to roll out some time in 2019.