Microsoft and T-Mobile enable free 5G for the PC

Microsoft and T-Mobile enable free 5G for the PC

Seeing the news yesterday about T-Mobile offering free 5G connectivity for the Surface Pro 9 with 5G brought back a wave of memories. Back in April 2018 I wrote a paper titled “Defining the Always On, Always Connected PC” that looked at how the Snapdragon 835 (!!) based platforms with their extended battery life and integrated LTE modems changed how users could think about device connectivity. Later that same year I looked at the second generation of Snapdragon devices in another paper, analyzing what had improved and what still needed to get better.

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Qualcomm movement into Broadcom markets is behind acquisition battle

Qualcomm movement into Broadcom markets is behind acquisition battle

In the ongoing feud between Broadcom and Qualcomm and the former’s attempt to use a hostile takeover to acquire the latter, we have seen commentary, press releases, letters from the board, and countless TV interviews from leadership on both sides. But recent announcements and product reveals from the San Diego-based mobile chip giant continue to paint a picture that differs greatly from the one being presented by Broadcom and CEO Hock Tan.

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Qualcomm pushes LTE forward again, up to 2 Gbps with Snapdragon X24 modem

Qualcomm pushes LTE forward again, up to 2 Gbps with Snapdragon X24 modem

Hot on the heels of the 5G momentum that saw Qualcomm announce working with 18 different device OEMs and 18  different network providers to bring 5G hardware and carriers online for wide adoption in 2019, the mobile giant is launching another 4G LTE modem. The new Snapdragon X24 LTE modem will provide connectivity speeds as high as 2.0 Gbps (Cat 20) and happens to be the first chip officially announced to be built on a 7nm process technology. It will be shipping in products by the end of 2018.

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Apple shared modem tech illegally, claims Qualcomm

Apple shared modem tech illegally, claims Qualcomm

The long standing legal battle between Apple and processor and connectivity provider Qualcomm has taken another surprising turn this week. Qualcomm has filed a complaint against Apple in San Diego court alleging that Apple has breached its contract by not allowing for a security audit stemming from apparent lack of intellectual property protection by the Cupertino giant.

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The 5G Economy will add $12.3 trillion of revenue by 2035

The 5G Economy will add $12.3 trillion of revenue by 2035

Earlier today a report commissioned by Qualcomm was released focusing on the impact of upcoming 5G standards and technology on the global economy. (https://www.qualcomm.com/invention/5g/economy) Qualcomm, along with nearly every major player in the technology and wireless industry, believes that 5G will bring about a new era of connected devices with a combined intelligence far greater than what we can demonstrate on today’s offerings. The 5G Economy was led by research firms IHS Markit and PSB, with outside verification by leading economist and professor Dr. David Teece, director of the Tusher Center at the Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley, and principal executive officer of the Berkeley Research Group. The results and tone of the report point towards a substantially more dramatic impact of the move to 5G than we have seen in any previous wireless technology migration.

Many consumers and businesses today not only utilize mobile 4G and 3G technology, but have come to depend on it to drive growth and sustain modern business models. 5G will move mobile wireless connectivity to a new level, hitting the landmark of being considered a General Purpose Technology, a designation given to technologies that change the world. Other GPTs include the printing press, electricity, automobiles, and the internet, putting this new predicted classification into proper context.

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