Qualcomm 5G modem will launch a mid-range mobile phone next year

Qualcomm will begin integrating the 5G connections of its flagship 8-series processors into 6-series and 7-series chipsets next year, the company announced at IFA today. Qualcomm said the chips would support a full range of 5G technologies, including the ability to connect to 6 gigahertz and millimeter wave spectrum.

Today's announcement means it will not only get a flagship phone with integrated 5G modems; it will also appear in a variety of processors used in more midrange and budget devices. Starting next year, we should start to see 5G surpass expensive flagship devices such as one plus 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 10, which make up most of the first wave of 5G device launches.

At present, most 5G mobile phones on the market have Qualcomm 5G modems separate from the main processor. Earlier this year, however, Qualcomm announced that it would integrate 5G modems directly into the next generation of flagship 8-series processors, which will be released in 2020. Qualcomm plans to announce more details of the chipset later this year.

Qualcomm said there are already 12 manufacturers, including LG, Oppo and HMD Global, which make Nokia-branded smartphones, and plan to use the new 7-series processors in upcoming phones. Qualcomm expects these manufacturers to start using integrated chipsets to launch devices sometime after the fourth quarter of this year. At the same time, devices using integrated 6-series chipsets are expected to be launched in the second half of 2020.