Qualcomm says it will power the 5G business of tomorrow

5G
(Image credit: Pixabay)

The world as we know it is set to be transformed by the benefits that 5G can bring, Qualcomm has declared.

The chipmaking giant kicked off its Snapdragon Summit with a look into its crystal ball to highlight how 5G is set to change the world not just for consumers, but businesses too.

Promising a “new era for mobile,” Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon looked to show off how the next-generation networks really can be what he called, “the technology that pushes all the limits.”

Premuim 5G

“We’re delivering the technologies that define premium experiences with 5G,” Amon noted. "And we set the standard because our platforms are built on decades of advanced R&D, with $66 billion invested across all facets of mobile tech."

He went on to explain that Qualcomm enjoys an “unrivalled” global ecosystem that allows the company to push its research even further. 

"These relationships, in concert with R&D, scale, and expertise, make Qualcomm synonymous with premium,” Amon said.

Qualcomm says it expects between 450 and 550 million 5G-enabled smartphones will be shipped worldwide in 2021, a number that is set to rise to over 750 million by 2022 as the networks stretch across the world.

With the company recently conducting research that found 5G connectivity impacts the choice of device for 50% of consumers, the need for full support and innovation in 5G is paramount.

Snapdragon Summit 2020

(Image credit: Snapdragon)

When it comes to wider 5G rollouts, Amon (pictured above) highlighted the importance of technologies such as mmWave and DSS in helping push nationwide deployment.

Amon noted that 130 operators across the world are already investing in mmWave, which will allow the use of extremely high frequency spectrum for superfast connections, hopefully meaning superior performance for networks all round.

Elsewhere, 4G and 5G DSS should help operators to roll out truly nationwide coverage, allowing a quick transition between new and existing networks.

Snapdragon Summit 2020

(Image credit: Snapdragon)

On the phones themselves, it isn’t just faster network connectivity that Qualcomm was keen to talk about, as the company showed off its 6th generation AI Engine within its latest chipsets. Powering functions from processing to security to real-time translation, the AI capabilities in the company’s Snapdragon hardware is set to allow your smartphone to do more than ever.

“(AI) is one feature that has outpaced all others in terms of processing demands, and it is set to evolve even further with 5G,” Amon noted.

All of this should mean that phone users across industries, whether business or consumer, should see major performance and reliability increases within the next few years as the world truly embraces 5G networks.

“The potential of 5G is astounding,” Amon said, highlighting how the technology can play a huge role in connecting the “new enterprise” (including SMBs and multinational organizations) as they cope with the post-pandemic world.

“The goal of 5G is to be connecting everything to the cloud, all the time,” Amon noted. “(It) will be the driver of the future digital economy (and) it's going to be part of a digital transformation of many enterprises.”

Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.