New Qualcomm chips inside Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P support 300 Mbps LTE-Advanced networks
Kevin Fitchard / OpenSignal Blog :
Context & Ripple Effects
Two weeks after Qualcomm previewed a Snapdragon 820 capable of 600 Mbps LTE-Advanced, OpenSignal reports the silicon actually shipping in consumer hands: the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P carry Qualcomm chips rated for 300 Mbps LTE-Advanced networks. It is an early proof point that the carrier-aggregation speed tiers carriers are lighting up have matching handsets.
The timing matters because Qualcomm has turned modem throughput into its headline spec race — the same summer it put a faster Qualcomm radio in the iPhone 6S, doubling its LTE speeds, and within six months it would announce the Snapdragon X16 modem pushing past 1 Gbps.
First-order effects
- Buyers of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P get hardware that can use LTE-Advanced capacity on networks that offer it, making the two Nexuses the consumer showcase for 300 Mbps-class service.
- Carriers rolling out LTE-Advanced gain flagship Android devices able to demonstrate the speed tier, giving their network upgrades something to sell against.
Second-order effects
- With Apple's iPhones also running Qualcomm radios, handset-to-handset comparisons now hinge on modem generation, pressuring other Android OEMs to adopt Qualcomm's newest integrated chips or market slower peak rates.
- Each speed bump shortens the shelf life of prior-tier devices, pushing upgrade cycles among buyers who track network performance.
Third-order effects
- The doubling cadence — 300 Mbps here, X16 at 1 Gbps, then the X50 5G modem announced for 2018 products and an X24 at 2 Gbps slated for 2019 flagships — points to Qualcomm consolidating the premium modem market and setting the pace at which carrier network investments become visible to consumers.
The trend: Smartphone connectivity is being repriced around annual modem-generation leaps, with Qualcomm's roadmap deciding when carrier network upgrades translate into consumer-visible speed.