Qualcomm's new X65 5G modem announced: next-gen 5G offers up to 10Gbps

Qualcomm has just announced its next-gen Snapdragon X65 5G modem, which offers a great leap over the last-gen Snapdragon X60 5G when it comes to download speeds.

The last-gen Snapdragon X60 5G modem is built into the new Snapdragon 888 chipset, but the new Snapdragon X65 5G modem offers super-fast 10Gbps download speeds... up from the 7.5Gbps offered on the Snapdragon X60. You might need to wait until networks catch up to offer that insane 10Gbps, but Qualcomm is ahead of the curve -- as always.

Qualcomm also says it is first with the Snapdragon X65 to support the upcoming 3GPP Release 16 specification, otherwise known as "5G phase 2" that will have improvements including MIMO connectivity, improved power consumption, and so much more. It will also help 5G networks move from just consumers to more commercial and business users through support for unlicensed spectrum and non-public networks.

Another nice touch is that Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X65 modem system is upgradeable, so the company can continue to tweak the chip and add features over time. That's a very, very nice touch -- as 10Gbps is more than enough bandwidth to stream and upload, and download, and do everything in between all at 8K.

There's also the new Qualcomm 545 mmWave antenna included with the new Snapdragon X65 5G, the latest 4th-generation model that has improved transmission power and supports the entire range of global mmWave frequencies.