Qualcomm announced new connectivity features for its top processor, the Snapdragon 820, including support for broadband speeds up to 600 Mbps and LTE in unlicensed spectrum bands. The processor, expected to be available in devices in from H1 2016, includes the new X12 LTE modem from Qualcomm, which supports LTE Cat 12 download speeds of up 600 Mbps and Cat 13 upload speeds up to 150 Mbps.
It provides up to 4x4 MIMO on one downlink LTE carrier, and in the unlicensed bands offers 802.11ac Wi-Fi and support for LTE-U and LTE+Wi-Fi Link Aggregation (LWA). The X12 LTE modem also supports next-generation HD Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Video over LTE (ViLTE) calling services using the IP Multimedia Subsystem, with support for call continuity between LTE and Wi-Fi. Using the Qualcomm Zeroth, the X12 LTE modem monitors real-time Wi-Fi quality to decide if and when to shift the call from LTE to Wi-Fi or back.
