With the growing demand for 5G, mmWave – which is actually the real sense 5G – is catching pace especially in the US where more networks are offering support for this short distance, high-speed connectivity. To meet demand, more Android manufacturers are looking for ways to implement this tech. Giving these OEMs a reason to rejoice, MediaTek has unveiled the M80 5G modem which supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G; the latter is faster than 4G, but not as effective as the millimeter-wave 5G.
The new M80 5G modem launched by MediaTek is a direct successor to the Helio M70 modem and it supports both sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G bands on a single chip as opposed to the M70 which lacked support for mmWave technology. Additionally, the new modem supports ultra-fast speeds on both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) architectures delivering peak rate of “7.67 Gbps in the downlink and 3.76 Gbps in the uplink.”
This integrated modem from MediaTek which will co-exist with other components like CPU, GPU, and more, will support dual 5G SIM along with dual NSA and SA networks. For more reliable connectivity, the M80 modem will also support dual Voice over New Radio (VoNR).
According to the company press release, the new and advanced 5G modem in addition to supporting new global cellular standards, offers ultra-fast connectivity speeds at low power consumption. The M80 modem with all its networking abilities will be compatible with a range of devices beyond smartphones including PCs, IoT applications, Chromebooks, and more.
Reportedly, the MediaTek M80 modem will be sampled to customers sometime later this year. So there is no information as of now to suggest when we can see a commercial device with the M80 onboard.
