Since the launch of the iPhone, smartphones have increasingly gained prominence in electronic terminal devices. After more than a decade of development, they have become the absolute protagonists of the industry, which has driven the entire industry chain to expand around them. With the advancement of technology, more and more emerging applications have begun to emerge, such as the Internet of Things, smart cars, VR/AR, and smart industry, which have become the most promising "newcomers".

Like smartphones, these emerging applications have unprecedented new demands for wireless networks, which is why market analysis firm Yole believes that, in addition to 5G, wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB will become important components of the market in the future. According to Yole, depending on the scenario, emerging applications have put forward higher requirements for wireless technologies.

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In response to this opportunity, Qualcomm, which has decades of profound experience and technical accumulation in wireless technology, is also making efforts. At the recent MWC held in Barcelona, Spain, Qualcomm brought a series of future-oriented products, technology demonstrations, and the latest cooperation news.

The gradual progress of 5G

When it comes to wireless networks, 5G is inevitably the top priority.

According to TrendForce's forecast, thanks to the promotion of enterprise 5G private networks, Small Cells, and 5G FWA equipment upgrades, the global 5G market size will reach 14.5 billion US dollars in 2023, and the CAGR from 2023 to 2026 will reach 11%; TrendForce further pointed out that the main application areas of the 5G network market are industrial manufacturing, energy and public utilities, medical solutions, smart cars, public transportation, and consumer electronics, which are very different from the driving forces of the previous mobile communication networks. Behind this, in addition to the inherent characteristics of the 5G network and the continuous evolution of 5G promoted by 3GPP, the manufacturers' up-to-date technology and products are also indispensable.

For example, in order to better promote the next stage of 5G development, Qualcomm demonstrated their new modem and radio frequency system for 5G Advanced-ready and 5G NR-Light at this MWC.

First, let's look at the 5G Advanced aspect. In Qualcomm's view, this technical standard, which includes Release 18, Release 19, and Release 20, is the next stage of 5G technology evolution. Qualcomm also brought the world's first 5G Advanced-ready modem and radio frequency system, the Snapdragon X75, setting a new benchmark for smartphone connectivity.

It is reported that the Snapdragon X75 introduces a new architecture, new software suite, and several world's first features to break through the boundaries of connectivity, including network coverage, latency, energy efficiency, and mobility. From a hardware perspective, the Snapdragon X75 is the world's first product to use a dedicated hardware tensor accelerator, which is crucial for achieving excellent 5G performance. For example, the second-generation AI-enhanced GNSS positioning can bring up to a 50% improvement in positioning tracking accuracy; AI-assisted millimeter wave beam management can integrate all information obtained from the modem and radio frequency and sensors, thereby achieving better millimeter wave beam processing performance, bringing up to a 25% increase in received power, and improving the robustness of millimeter wave links.The Snapdragon X75 has created the industry's first architecture that integrates millimeter-wave and Sub-6GHz. Facing the millimeter-wave band, the chip supports the implementation of ten-carrier aggregation; in the Sub-6GHz band, the chip has also achieved five-carrier aggregation and FDD uplink MIMO, thereby supporting outstanding spectrum aggregation and capacity, which are also global firsts.

To achieve multi-gigabit 5G transmission speeds, in addition to the aforementioned technologies, Qualcomm has also brought more innovations to the Snapdragon X75. Such as the fourth-generation Qualcomm 5G PowerSave and Qualcomm RF energy efficiency suite, which can effectively extend battery life, expand network coverage, and improve mobile data transmission speeds; the second-generation Qualcomm DSDA supports simultaneous use of 5G/4G dual data connections on two SIM cards; the fourth-generation Qualcomm Smart Transmit can help with fast, reliable, and long-distance uploads, and currently also includes support for Snapdragon Satellite.

Qualcomm believes that the technology and innovation of the Snapdragon X75 can empower OEM manufacturers to create a new generation of experiences across segments including smartphones, mobile broadband, automotive, computing, industrial IoT, fixed wireless access (FWA), and 5G enterprise private networks. At the same time, Qualcomm has also launched the third-generation Qualcomm fixed wireless access platform with Snapdragon X75. In addition to supporting the features of the aforementioned Snapdragon X75, the platform also supports Wi-Fi 7 connectivity; at the same time, with a quad-core CPU and dedicated hardware acceleration engine, this platform can support a wide range of applications and provide more value-added services.

Facing the intelligent network edge, Qualcomm has also brought the world's first 5G NR-Light modem and RF system Snapdragon X35.

According to the definition of 3GPP from Release 15, 5G has three major application pillars, which are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive Internet of Things (mIoT), and critical IoT, which also represent the ultimate performance in different aspects and the corresponding complexity.

Qualcomm points out that in the direction of massive IoT services, whether it is Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) terminals, or enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication (eURLLC) terminals, they cannot meet the extensive mid-range 5G application needs. So 3GPP introduced a new RedCap (meaning "reduced performance") terminal layer in Release 17, which is also known as NR-Light. Snapdragon X35 is the first product that Qualcomm has launched for this demand.

It is reported that Snapdragon X35 not only supports the conventional features defined by 3GPP Release 17 but also supports 5G and 4G voice, precise positioning, and ultra-low latency features. In theory, Snapdragon X35 can even achieve a peak rate of up to 220Mbps, which can support various scenarios.

In addition, Snapdragon X35 also uses technologies such as Qualcomm QET5100 envelope tracking, Qualcomm Smart Transmit technology, Qualcomm 5G ultra-low latency suite, and the fourth-generation Qualcomm 5G PowerSave, thereby significantly reducing power consumption, expanding 5G coverage, reducing latency, improving battery life, and increasing upload speed.

Qualcomm believes that Snapdragon X35 brings a series of unique performance in data rate, energy efficiency, complexity, and board area, which can cost-effectively empower new use cases, including entry-level industrial IoT terminals, fixed wireless access CPE and connected PCs for the mass market, and the first generation of 5G consumer IoT terminals, such as cloud-connected glasses and top wearable devices.

Wi-Fi further advancementIn addition to 5G, Wi-Fi is another wireless technology that has been a focus of attention.

Market research firm Strategy Analytics emphasized in a report released at the end of last year that with the popularization of Wi-Fi in smart homes, home entertainment, and other application areas, the shipment of Wi-Fi systems will grow at an annual rate of 7.5%. The agency also pointed out that the growing shipment volume, the transition to newer Wi-Fi standards, and the higher initial price of radio chips will collectively drive the Wi-Fi chip market to exceed 20 billion US dollars by 2027, and Wi-Fi 7 is becoming a focus of attention.

Like cellular communication, Qualcomm is also a global leader in the field of Wi-Fi connection and communication technology. Qualcomm revealed at a press conference held last year that the company's innovation in Wi-Fi technology has exceeded 20 years. Since 1998, Qualcomm has been a global leader in Wi-Fi, and the company's shipment volume in the Wi-Fi product field has been ranked first in the world for many years. Since 2015, 6.5 billion terminals worldwide have adopted Qualcomm's Wi-Fi solutions.

Such achievements are attributed to the company's two product lines for different needs: for advanced home application scenarios, Qualcomm provides an immersive home networking platform, which can help customers create products with smaller size, lower power consumption, and higher cost-effectiveness requirements; for enterprise-level applications, Qualcomm has launched a professional networking platform to assist customers in creating products with larger capacity, higher performance, and stronger scalability.

Looking back at the development of Qualcomm's Wi-Fi technology, as an important participant, the company can not only launch leading solutions in time to help terminal manufacturers develop related products as soon as possible, but also deeply participate in the standard-setting stage, which makes Qualcomm have a profound accumulation and unique insights into the research and development of technology. For example, Qualcomm believes that future Wi-Fi will have characteristics such as high throughput, low latency, and deterministic performance. To this end, Qualcomm and industry partners have been committed to promoting the arrival of Wi-Fi 7 with faster connections, more connections, and adaptive connections.

As early as February last year, Qualcomm also launched the world's first and fastest Wi-Fi 7 commercial solution - FastConnect 7800. Qualcomm said that the chip has leading features required by Wi-Fi 7, such as high-frequency concurrent and high-frequency multi-connection, which can utilize two Wi-Fi radio frequencies at the same time to achieve high-frequency connections with four data streams in the 5GHz and/or 6GHz frequency bands. Based on high-frequency multi-connection concurrent technology, FastConnect 7800 supports all multi-connection modes, and users can experience the lowest latency and interference by using the 320MHz channel in the increasingly popular 6GHz frequency band or the 240MHz channel in the globally available 5GHz frequency band, enjoying jitter-free connections and peak speeds.

In May last year, Qualcomm also launched the most scalable commercial Wi-Fi 7 network platform product portfolio - the third-generation Qualcomm professional networking platform. Whether it is for enterprise-level, small and medium-sized enterprises, operator gateways, professional user mesh networks, or home deployment, the series provides a variety of platforms to choose from, including the Qualcomm 1620 professional networking platform, the Qualcomm 1220 professional networking platform, the Qualcomm 820 professional networking platform, and the Qualcomm 620 professional networking platform, targeting the next generation of enterprise-level access points, high-performance routers, and operator gateways, supporting 6 to 16 data stream network connections.

According to Qualcomm's introduction at this year's MWC, since last year, the company has also made breakthroughs in the field of Wi-Fi 7 and gained strong development momentum. First, almost all second-generation Snapdragon 8 terminals that have been released or are under development have adopted the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 mobile connection system that supports Wi-Fi 7; second, Qualcomm has obtained more than 175 customer Wi-Fi 7 terminal designs, covering a very rich terminal category; finally, most of the terminals that have been released or are under design and adopt FastConnect 7800 have adopted Qualcomm's RF front-end products.

Covering the globe with satellites

In recent years, in the field of wireless communication, due to the promotion of mobile phone manufacturers, the demand for satellite communication has also been increasing. However, different from what many people think that satellite communication will help all users achieve internet access and voice calls around the world, the current satellite communication technology promoted by manufacturers focuses on the function of "sending emergency signals".At the beginning of this year, Qualcomm also brought the world's first satellite-based, two-way messaging communication solution for flagship smartphones at the CES - Snapdragon Satellite. At the same time, Qualcomm also announced a cooperation with the world's leading satellite company, Iridium Communications.

According to Qualcomm, with the support of the Snapdragon 5G modem and RF system and the fully operational Iridium satellite constellation system, Snapdragon Satellite will support OEM manufacturers and other service providers to bring true global coverage. The solution for smartphones uses the weather-resistant L-band spectrum of Iridium Communications to achieve uplink and downlink connections. In practical applications, Snapdragon Satellite can provide true global coverage from the South Pole to the North Pole, and can also support two-way emergency message communication, SMS text messages, and other messaging applications.

It is precisely the support for such innovative features that Qualcomm's satellite communication technology has been highly recognized by the market shortly after its release. According to Qualcomm's disclosure at MWC, Qualcomm is working with Honor, Motorola, Nothing, OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi to support manufacturers in developing smartphones with satellite communication capabilities using the recently released Snapdragon Satellite.

Qualcomm said that in addition to smartphones, Snapdragon Satellite will also expand to other types of terminals including computing, automotive, and the Internet of Things. With the growth of the Snapdragon Satellite ecosystem, terminal manufacturers and application developers will be able to use satellite connections to create differentiated advantages and provide unique branded services. When the NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) satellite infrastructure and satellite constellation system are ready, Snapdragon Satellite also plans to support 5G NTN.

Connection-based, all-round technical support for innovation

At this MWC exhibition, Qualcomm's 5G, Wi-Fi, and satellite communication technologies were unanimously praised. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Qualcomm is also extending its business from the field of smartphones based on these basic technologies, such as automotive, which is a direction that Qualcomm highly values.

In recent years, with the arrival of intelligence, electrification, and interconnection, the automotive industry has undergone earth-shaking changes. End users also have an urgent demand for these new functions of automobiles, which forces upstream chip and software suppliers to change in time and respond promptly. Qualcomm is also entering this field through internal research and development and acquisitions.

Qualcomm has also launched leading products in line with market demand. "Snapdragon Digital Chassis" is the core of Qualcomm's development strategy in the automotive industry. It is reported that the "Snapdragon Digital Chassis" includes the Snapdragon cockpit platform, Snapdragon automotive smart connection platform, Snapdragon vehicle-to-cloud services, and the Snapdragon Ride platform, aiming to provide a complete solution for automotive manufacturers from multiple aspects such as in-vehicle experience, automotive interconnection, intelligent upgrades, and autonomous driving.

Qualcomm also announced an update to the Snapdragon Digital Chassis at this MWC, bringing the latest products to the growing Snapdragon Digital Chassis connected car technology portfolio - the second-generation Snapdragon automotive 5G modem and RF platform. The platform's processing power has increased by more than 50%, energy efficiency has increased by 40%, and the maximum throughput has more than doubled, supporting safe, reliable, and seamless connections, and bringing a safe, intelligent, and immersive driving and riding experience.

It is revealed that in order to provide developers with more robust and flexible connection and processing capabilities, Qualcomm's second-generation Snapdragon automotive 5G modem and RF platform integrates a quad-core CPU and up to 200MHz of aggregated network bandwidth, providing new service opportunities and supporting faster content streaming transmission, online gaming, and the most advanced connection technology and speed required for autonomous driving; in addition, the platform supports a new generation of advanced positioning engines that can improve positioning accuracy and robustness, support emergency services, navigation, safety alerts, and autonomous driving functions, support precise positioning in the most challenging environments, and enable high-definition mapping and automatic parking and other use cases.It is worth mentioning that the second-generation Snapdragon Automotive 5G Modem and RF platform also supports satellite communication, introducing a brand new communication method for the automotive industry, ensuring ubiquitous connectivity and communication for applications that use two-way messaging communication and in remote and rural areas.

From the performance and upgrades of Qualcomm's "Snapdragon Digital Chassis," we can see that connectivity is the foundation of Qualcomm without a doubt, but what Qualcomm has now is not only connectivity, nor is it limited to hardware. The profound layout in the software field also makes Qualcomm more powerful in various terminal markets, which further expands Qualcomm's traditional hardware business model.

In order to simplify and accelerate the development of the Internet of Things across multiple industries, Qualcomm launched the Qualcomm Aware platform, combining industry-leading chips and a wide range of hardware and software partner ecosystems with a cloud architecture that is easy for developers to use, to provide a complete set of differentiated services for managing assets that require key, accurate, and time-sensitive decision-making support.

By providing ubiquitous global connectivity, and intelligently optimizing and integrating sensor prompts and key equipment control functions with positioning technology, the Qualcomm Aware platform can provide a new benchmark for the field of the Internet of Things and help enterprises improve operational efficiency. In practical applications, the key use cases supported by the Qualcomm Aware platform include cold chain distribution, utility asset monitoring, freight tracking, warehouse and inventory management, etc.

In the field of AI, Qualcomm has also brought the world's first Stable Diffusion terminal-side demonstration running on Android mobile phones. According to Qualcomm, Qualcomm AI Research uses the Qualcomm AI software stack to perform full-stack AI optimization, and for the first time, deploys Stable Diffusion on Android smartphones. Its full-stack optimization design allows Stable Diffusion to run on smartphones, perform 20 steps of inference in 15 seconds, and generate a 512x512 pixel image. This is the fastest inference speed on smartphones, comparable to cloud latency, and the user's text input is completely unrestricted.

Qualcomm emphasizes that running Stable Diffusion on smartphones is just the beginning. All the full-stack research and optimization that make this goal possible will be integrated into the Qualcomm AI software stack. With the "unified technology roadmap," Qualcomm can use a single AI software stack and expand it to apply to different terminals and different models.

Looking back at the development of Qualcomm over the past few decades, we have witnessed how a chip giant has grown from cellular technology to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and now into multiple fields such as the Internet of Things and AI; in terms of terminal applications, we have also seen Qualcomm's continuous innovation from mobile phones to PCs, and now to automobiles.

In this process, connectivity is the confidence of Qualcomm, and the relentless pursuit of all-round technology is the pillar that allows Qualcomm to stand tall to this day, which is even more vividly reflected at this MWC.