Stefan Mileschin

No integration for early 2020 phones

Despite some rumors that the upcoming 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 successor might integrate 5G at the SoC level, our well-informed friends have informed us that the 865 will keep the modem as a separate chip.

It is too early for total integration, but the late 2020 chip that will end up in 2021 phones is likely to be the first integrated 5G solution.

5G has started to appear across the US, Europe, and Asia but in a limited capacity with big potential and momentum to grow. The Snapdragon 865 will use the leading-edge 4G modem and a Snapdragon X55 5G modem as a separate solution. The will deliver peak download speeds of a whopping 7 Gbps and upload to magical 3 Gbps.
Snapdragon X55 to accompany 865 for 5G phones

The reason behind the lack of integration is that OEMs are unwilling to pay for the 5G solution for every single high-end phone as many countries even in 2020 will have very limited usage of the new technology. OEMs wanted the Snapdragon 865 4G solution as this is the most commonly used in most markets - even in 2020 and a 5G solution as a separate chip for countries and markets that have started and invested in 5G in time.

The cost of making the two different 865 version was just too high to be justified. Of course, Qualcomm is expected to launch an upcoming Snapdragon, the one that we choose to call 865, at its annual December event in Maui Hawaii USA. Phones with 865 should arrive in late Q1 or early Q2 2020 depending on the OEM, but things look to be on schedule.

https://fudzilla.com/news/mobile/491...he-5g-separate