The iPhone 13 will have the Snapdragon X60 modem inside, according to the latest rumors. The chip is designed by Qualcomm and takes advantage of a 5nm manufacturing process which adds some advantages over its predecessor. As usual in this type of technology, we will obtain connections with improvements on the front of latency, power consumption and efficiency.
Now yes: X60 modem for iPhone 13
When the first rumors of a 5G iPhone surfaced, it was speculated that it would feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 modem. The truth is, the iPhone 12 was the first to have 5G in an Apple terminal, but they did it through a previous modem: the X55. With the new generation, the following improvements are expected:
- 5nm manufacturing process which makes it smaller.
- Possibility of simultaneously combining the mmWave and sub-6GHz bands to optimize the connection.
- Lower latency and higher speed as a result.
- Lower consumption for longer battery life under 5G, although the amount is not specified (it will depend on several factors).
Thanks to the dispute between Qualcomm and Apple a few years ago, as well as their subsequent settlement, we know some details about the plans with the iPhone. For example, the X60 is the modem that will be used in the 2021 launch, while for next year we will see the X65. The latter would allow maximum download speeds of 10 GB per second, from the current 7 GB per second.
Obviously this agreement could be changed although there does not appear to be any other modems that follow Qualcomm. Of course, Apple is expected to launch its own 5G communications chips (Apple bought the modem division from Intel two years ago) which are expected in the iPhone in 2023. The same year the agreement with Qualcomm ends.
