As Qualcomm prepares for the inevitable popularization of the 5G standard, its previous announcement of the Snapdragon X55 5G modem shows the company’s dedication towards the proliferation of that standard. Additionally, the successor to the Snapdragon 855 will presumably be called the Snapdragon 865,with a previous rumor stating that it will come with an integrated 5G modempossibly to save space to allow manufacturers more room to incorporate other components. However, according to a fresh report, Qualcomm is planning to release its upcoming flagship chipset in two variants; and there’s going to be one major difference separating these two versions.

Manufacturers Will Reportedly Have a Choice to Pick a Snapdragon 865 With an Integrated 5G Modem or Without One

Given that 5G networks have just started rolling out, that too in just two countries, the U.S. and South Korea, Qualcomm’s alleged strategy makes sense. Codenamed ‘Snapdragon 8250’, the silicon will apparently be available in two configurations to give more choices to consumers. Smartphone makers going for the variant with a built-in 5G modem will be able to utilize the freed up space for other things such as a bigger battery. Smartphones underpinned by the chip will presumably be launched in developed markets.

With the other variant, vendors would apparently be free to decide whether they want to pair the chip with a 4G LTE modem or Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 5G one.This would help the manufacturers cut down the cost of their smartphones and cater to price-sensitive markets like Indiaand other technologically emerging regions.

Qualcomm Snapdragon "Kona55" Fusion sounds like SM8250 + external 5G modem. _Not_ internal. I thought they were gonna merge 5G into the main SoC with the next gen?

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) May 3, 2019

According to Qualcomm, the next generation Snapdragon 5G mobile platform will support the second-gen sub-6 GHz and mmWave antenna modules. It will also come with the new 5G PowerSave technology that will boost the battery life of 5G-ready handsets, in given situations.

Qualcomm’s SoCs are theproducts of choice for most Android handset manufacturers as competitors like MediaTek have yet to catch up. In fact, the company can said to be a contributing factor for driving Intel out of business, as it settled all disputes with Apple and entered a six-year license agreement. However, since the Cupertino giant makes its own A-series processors, it will only be using the chipmaker’s 5G modem, giving Qualcomm a strong position in the market.

Do you think this alleged strategy makes sense for Qualcomm’s future? Let us know down in the comments.

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News Source: CnBeta