Apple has not yet confirmed that it would release a new flagship series this year. However, if we take a look at the release pattern of the Cupertino company, it looks like a new lineup, which could be called the iPhone 12 series, is apparent. A new report claims that the upcoming flagship iPhone from Apple could feature this new modem that provides blazing speed.
Qualcomm X60 5G Modem
It was just recently that consumers got to know more about the Qualcomm X55 5G modem because the Samsung Galaxy S20 series houses it. However, the company just announced its next-generation 5G modem, which promises not only speed improvement but also overall performance and battery life enhancements. Qualcomm announced the upcoming 5G modem at its "What's Next in 5G" event held in San Diego.
During the said event, the company underlined the capacity of the X60 modem to provide ultra-fast download and upload speeds. Qualcomm also mentioned that the modem would be tested this quarter by its partners, which could include the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, reports 9to5Mac. The third-generation 5G modem is capable of connecting to both mmWave and sub-6GHz at the same time.
It means that compared to its older siblings, the Qualcomm X60 5G modem could provide more reliable and faster speed. Additionally, it features sub-6GHz carrier aggregation, which could dramatically improve the speed of a much slower 5G version. Instead of utilizing LTE or older networking standards for cellular audio, this modem introduces support for running voice calls.
Moreover, the Qualcomm X60 5G modem is now based on 5nm architecture. This makes it far smaller than its predecessor and much more power-efficient. The company also launched the latest QTM535 mmWave antenna alongside the X60.
The new antenna is reportedly much smaller than the QTM525. Qualcomm also announced a new QTM535 mmWave antenna to go with the new X60, which it says is smaller than the QTM525. It can be recalled that earlier this month, there were reports that Apple is considering designing its own antenna since the QTM525 could affect the ideal design of the iPhone 12.
Release Details
It is not yet clear if Qualcomm would pack the X60 5G modem to its next-generation SoC, which is the Snapdragon 875, or the company would offer it as separate hardware. A recent report claims that the third-generation 5G modem would be available on smartphones releasing in 2021. But, the modem is anticipated to be in the market by the end of this year.
