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CTOnews.com, February 8, Qualcomm announced the launch of the world's first 5G NR-Light (also known as RedCap) modem and RF system, Snapdragon X355G modem and RF system, which complements today's 5G performance and complexity to meet the needs of midrange use cases.

The Snapdragon X35 extends the 5G to new and rich use cases such as superior smartwatches, next-generation XR glasses and the Industrial Internet of things. Compared with the traditional mobile broadband terminal, the NR-Light terminal with Snapdragon X35 has smaller shape, lower cost and longer battery life.

This lower-cost platform provides terminal manufacturers with a long-term solution to replace LTE CAT4 + terminals and migrate to 5G, eventually driving the popularity of 5G and accelerating the transition to a unified 5G network.

In addition to the Snapdragon X35, Qualcomm Technology also introduces Snapdragon X325G modems and RF systems, a modem-to-antenna solution designed to help create lower-complexity and cost-efficient NR-Light terminals.

The NR-Light, also known as "RedCap", is a new 5G platform, completed in 2022, designed to fill the gap between radio chips that drive ultrafast millimeter waves and converged sub-6 speeds, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70, to extremely low-bandwidth Internet of things (IoT) devices.

The 5G used in phones consumes a lot of power, thanks to a problem with low-power LTE chips that made wearable cellular devices mainstream around the time of Samsung Gear S3 and Apple Apple Watch Series 3.

The important thing is that 5G is not just an increase in speed, the higher bandwidth provided by 5G provides connection space for more devices, always staying connected. There is also low-latency network performance.

The existing 4G / LTE network is actually preventing 5G from realizing its full potential. Most low-frequency 5G frequencies share radio waves with 4G / LTE signals, and 5G traffic must give way to older and less efficient LTE traffic. Fewer 4G / LTE devices mean better performance for 5G devices that use these frequencies.

The Snapdragon X35 is not just suitable for smartwatches, although it may be one of the most popular uses in the short term, but Qualcomm expects its chips to support and route the next generation of XR glasses, personal health monitors, retail terminals, security cameras and more affordable industrial Internet of things devices and mass Internet PC. CTOnews.com learned that, in addition to standard 5G data connections with peak speeds up to 220Mbps, it also supports 5G and 4G voice as well as precise positioning of devices in campus and factory environments.

Key innovations in Snapdragon X35 5G modems and RF systems include:

The Snapdragon X35 is a 3GPP Release 17 RedCap modem that integrates optimized radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and power management integrated circuit (PMIC) modules to provide OEM manufacturers with new 5G performance for next-generation terminals for new use cases. Flexible, compact architecture and highly integrated modems and RF systems deliver excellent energy and heat dissipation efficiency, and provide a compact form factor design for the customization of compact terminals.

The Snapdragon X35 delivers a unique set of performance in terms of data rate, energy efficiency, complexity and board footprint, enabling cost-effective use cases including entry-level industrial IoT terminals, fixed wireless access CPE and networked PC for the mass market, as well as the first generation of 5G consumer IoT terminals such as cloud-enabled glasses and top wearable devices. By supporting LTE and 5G NR-Light, Snapdragon X35 has the ability of backward compatibility and future-oriented features, which can help OEM manufacturers build terminals that coexist with a wide range of 4G and 5G terminal categories, and help expand 5G NR-Light services on a large scale.

The Snapdragon X35 uses advanced modem and RF technology to significantly reduce power consumption, expand 5G coverage, reduce latency, improve battery life, and increase uplink speed:

Qualcomm QET5100 Envelope tracking

Qualcomm Smart Transmit technology

Qualcomm 5G ultra-low latency kit

The fourth generation Qualcomm 5G PowerSave

In addition, the Snapdragon X35 supports dual-band GNSS (L1+L5) to provide accurate positioning, which can support new industrial use cases and applications. With support for global RF bands, the Snapdragon X35 supports almost all bands, including Sub-6GHz, FDD and TDD, to meet the needs of different markets.

The Snapdragon X35 supports key innovations and other performance enhancements designed to enable a new generation of use cases and applications from the entry level to the top.

Snapdragon X35 and Snapdragon X32 are expected to begin sampling to customers in the first half of 2023, and commercial mobile terminals are expected to be released in the first half of 2024.

Related readings:

Popular Science: what is RedCap and how is it different from the current 5G?

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