Intel announces XMM8160 5G modem with support for speeds up to 6Gbps

Intel has announced its XMM8160 5G model for mobile devices, pegging a market release 6 months ahead of schedule. The modem will become available in the second half of 2018 and the first devices powered by the Intel XMM8160 5G modem should hit the market in 2020. The chip will be compatible with previous-generation radios — namely 2G, 3G, 4G — thus eliminating the need for two separate modems on the same device to ensure connectivity even in areas where 5G is not available. It, of course, takes on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem.

The Intel XMM8160 5G modem will support speeds of up to 6Gbps and is designed for products such as smartphones, computers, and broadband access gateways. Among the devices that will use the modem may include Apple's 2020 iPhone models as Intel supplies chips to the brand and the first iPhones with 5G capabilities are speculated to launch in a couple of years.

In a statement, Intel said, "With single-chip multimode baseband capability, the Intel XMM 8160 5G modem will enable device manufacturers to design smaller and more power-efficient devices. This can be achieved without the added complexity, power management and form factor adjustments of two separate modems for 5G and legacy connectivity, as will be introduced in early competing 5G modems. By advancing directly to a multimode solution, Intel will offer very clear improvements in power, size and scalability."

The company claims the new 5G modem supports new millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum as well as sub 6GHz 5G NR support (including FDD and TDD bands from 600 MHz to 6 GHz) and download speeds up to 6Gbps.