Qualcomm unveils first mmWave 5G antenna for smartphones

Gigabit 5G could be a reality thanks to Qualcomm and their latest mmWave 5G antenna!

5G has been in the works for quite a while now. Adopting a new network standard is no easy task, since a lot of pieces need to come together to work! New standards need to be agreed on, new modems need to be developed, and new networking hardware for towers needs to be rolled out. However, Qualcomm has taken the first step, and has unveiled their mmWave 5G antenna. The antenna will be able to operate on multiple 5G networks. On a demo earler this year, 5G was demonstrated with a massive boost in data transfer speeds, but the biggest leap will happen with the mmWave network. However, it also transmits at a much shorter range and is far more easily blocked by things like walls and even users’ hands held over their devices.

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But Qualcomm claims that its QTM052 antenna is the solution. It’s a tiny antenna array, roughly the size of a penny, that features four antennas that can (with the help of Qualcomm’s algorithms) accurately point toward the nearest 5G tower. It can even bounce signals off of surrounding surfaces. The QTM052 is designed to be small enough that device manufacturers will be able to embed it into the bezel of a phone. Qualcomm’s X50 5G modem is already designed to support up to four of the antenna arrays, one for each side of the phone, allowing for 16 total antennas and ensuring that no matter how you hold your phone, the signal won’t get blocked.

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Qualcomm says that the first device with the antenna will come in early 2019. Hopefully, we will have 5G networks by then.