Samsung Exynos Modem 5100, World's 'First 5G Modem With 3GPP Compatibility', Launched

Samsung Electronics has announced the Exynos Modem 5100, a modem for 5G networks that is compatible with 3GPP standards. The South Korean tech giant claims that the Exynos Modem 5100 is the world's "first 5G modem that is fully compatible with 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 15." It is the latest standard specification for 5G New Radio (5G-NR). The new model is built on 10-nanometer (nm) process technology and supports legacy radio access technologies designed into a single SoC.

The new Exynos Modem 5100 comes with sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrums support defined in 3GPP's 5G standard. The company claims that the modem delivers a maximum downlink speed of up to 2Gbps in 5G's sub-6GHz settings and 6Gbps in mmWave settings. It is said to be around 1.7 and five times the data transfer speeds of its predecessor respectively. The model also supports legacy networks, such as 2G GSM/CDMA, 3G WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA, and 4G LTE, with a single chip solution, Samsung noted in a blog post. The company said that fast and stable data communication can also be seen on 4G networks with a downlink speed of 1.6Gbps.

With 5G capability to transmit large-capacity data and real-time low-latency communication, Samsung plans to bring new user experiences in smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT), ultra-high resolution videos, holograms, real-time artificial intelligence (AI), and autonomous driving. Samsung said that it is working with a number of global mobile carriers and partners to "quickly bring 5G mobile communications to the market."

Samsung said it had successfully conducted an over-the-air 5G-NR data call test on a 5G wireless network with a 5G base station and a prototype smartphone. The test simulated real-world conditions, ensuring mobile devices that adopt the new modem will be commercialised faster, it said

The company said that the Exynos Modem 5100 is also offered with radio frequency IC (RFIC), Envelope Tracking (ET), and power management IC (PMIC) solutions. Interestingly, Samsung has confirmed that the new modem will be available to customers by the end of 2018.

Dr. Inyup Kang, President and Head of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics said, "Samsung's leadership in communication technologies and market-proven knowledge allowed us to develop the industry's first 5G modem, the Exynos Modem 5100, which fully complies with the latest 3GPP standards. As the industry prepares the shift toward 5G, Samsung will continue to drive the growth of innovative ideas and new services in mobile applications and other emerging industries."

It is worth noting that the Exynos Modem 5100 is not the first 5G modem. Qualcomm had unveiled the X50 modem, back in 2016, and companies like Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and others are already on board to start using it in phones starting next year. Additionally, earlier this year, Qualcomm had announced the "world's first fully-integrated 5G NR millimetre wave (mmWave) and sub-6GHz RF modules" for smartphones and other mobile devices. Samsung plans to pair the new Qualcomm QTM052 mmWave antenna module family and the Qualcomm QPM56xx sub-6 GHz RF module family, with the Snapdragon X50 5G modem, with an aim to deliver modem-to-antenna capabilities across several spectrum bands.