Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 could bring blazing-fast 5G to laptops

Arif Bacchus
By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ahead of Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon X55, the world’s fastest 5G modem. While it promises to bring fast data connectivity to the next generation of 5G smartphones, Windows Central reports that the modem also holds potential in transforming Always Connected PCs — the ultraportable laptops and 2-in-1s which are powered by the ARM-based processors found inside your phone.

Though the market for 5G and even the Always Connected PC is still growing with consumers, the new Snapdragon X55 can provide download speeds of up to 7Gbps and upload speeds of 3Gbps. It also maintains multi-mode support for 5G, 4G and 2G networks for maximum compatibility. That beats out the speeds set by the Snapdragon X50 modem, which peaks out at 5Gbps download.

Recommended Videos

Numbers aside, it means that heading into the future the incoming wave of new Always Connected PCs running with the latest Snapdragon 8cX processor and the Snapdragon X55 could get the similar connectivity benefits of 5G smartphones. On top of the impressive battery life already offered by Always Connected PCs, the potential for 5G  increases the future selling point for the devices falling under the currently struggling platform. Depending on which laptop makers choose to adopt the emerging technology, consumers would be able to download, stream videos, and enjoy other internet content on PCs faster than they would on 4G speeds or with Wi-Fi.

Related

“With significant evolution in capabilities and performance, our second generation commercial 5G modem is a true testament to the maturity and leadership of our 5G technology,” Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon said in a statement. “We expect our 5G platform to accelerate 5G commercial momentum and power virtually all 5G launches in 2019 while significantly expanding the global 5G rollout footprint.”

Currently, there is just a small selection of Always Connected PCs which support 4G connectivity. That includes last generation Snapdragon 835 powered devices like HP’s Envy X2, or Lenovo’s Miix 630. A newer wave of Snapdragon 850 Always Connected PCs packing improved performance includes the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 and Lenovo’s Yoga C630. While offering all-day battery life, many reviewers have found these devices don’t show the same power as PCs with Intel processors, so the potential of 5G and the new Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 and the Snapdragon 8cX processor could be significant in the future.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus
Computing Writer
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Samsung and Amdocs deploy private 5G at Howard University
Howard University Founders Library.

Samsung has partnered with software company Amdocs to deliver one of the first campus-wide private 5G networks at a major U.S. university, allowing students and faculty to securely access learning and information resources from anywhere on the campus.

The two companies announced the deployment of the new private 5G network at Howard University in Washington, D.C., as the first project in a new collaboration to deliver end-to-end 4G and 5G private network solutions to major enterprises across the U.S. This effort is set to include not only higher education institutions like Howard University, but also other industries such as utilities, manufacturing, logistics, transportation, and retail.

Read more
OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has 65W charging, coming on February 17
oneplus nord ce 2 5g release date news camera teaser

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G will get its official unveiling on February 17, and the company has circulated a teaser showing the rear camera module to build anticipation, plus it has revealed a few key facts from the spec sheet. The Nord CE 2 5G is the sequel to the Nord CE, released in June 2021, which provided great mid-range device value.

What about the Nord CE 2 5G? The teaser image shows a very different camera module to the first Nord CE. This time it’s a rectangular shape and houses two cameras and two smaller apertures, potentially for another camera and a flash, or a flash and an additional sensor for focusing. The Nord CE had three cameras -- a 64-megapixel main, an 8MP wide-angle, and a 2MP monochrome camera.

Read more
TCL’s 30V 5G is coming to Verizon for $300
A press image showing the front and rear sides of the TCL 20 V 5G smartphone.

TCL is bringing another cheap 5G phone to the U.S market today, launching the TCL V30 5G for Verizon for just $300. It's not a flagship or even flagship-adjacent smartphone, it's a phone that exists to bring 5G access more cheaply -- along with some extra niceties.

Specs-wise, it's what you expect on a phone from this price range. This is a pretty large phone that comes with the close standard 6.67-inch display that you'll find on so many budget Android phones right now. It has a FullHD+ display, but there's no smooth 90Hz refresh display so users will have to make do with a 60Hz refresh.

Read more