Qualcomm Promises More 5G Phones, Better Range

From PC Mag: Qualcomm powers all the 5G devices in the US right now, but this first round has been disappointing; the current crop of 5G phones are expensive, have poor coverage, and overheat easily. Today at IFA, Qualcomm told us to cheer up: there's more and better 5G coming.

A lot of the announcement was hazy, because Qualcomm is teasing out the details through the end of the year. The chipmaker has a big 5G event in late September, followed by its annual conference in December, at which we expect to see the game changer—the Snapdragon 865 chipset with integrated 5G.

But for now, the tease. Qualcomm emphasized that we'll see phones with 700-series integrated 5G chipsets in early 2020 and 600-series ones in late 2020. The 700 series chips are popular in China, so that's a signal about lots of Chinese 5G phones coming. Interestingly, Qualcomm said 700-series 5G devices will come out in North America as well, and called out Motorola and LG as potential providers. The 600 series is Qualcomm's reasonably priced midrange, so that's a signal about 5G device prices coming down next year.

We'll hear more about that in a few weeks, but for now, Qualcomm also had an antenna announcement that could change the picture of 5G in the US.

The most important announcement for US users, I think, is the QTM527 millimeter-wave antenna module for home internet connections. According to Qualcomm, the QTM527 will enable 5G providers to offer home internet service a mile from a 5G connection point in rural areas, and 0.7 miles away in urban areas. The new antenna can also pick up signals reflected off windows and walls, meaning it can work around corners.

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