Once together, now separated, 5G baseband will connect everything

2019 is the first year of 5G, but SoC and 5G baseband have separated, and 5G baseband will be shipped independently. Why do the two, who have always been close to each other, have to separate in the 5G era? There are two reasons. First, the current 5G baseband cannot solve the problem of full network access, and must be coordinated with the 4G baseband. In addition, the 5G baseband will be able to be independently used in multiple types of devices such as cars, drones, VR, and the Internet of Things. The independent 5G baseband will become the basis for connecting everything.

[[254681]]

SoC and baseband separate in the 5G era

In the 4G era, except for Apple separating the baseband from the SoC, both the dominant Qualcomm and the challengers Samsung and Huawei chose to build the baseband into the SoC.

For example, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 integrates the X20 LTE modem and can provide Gigabit LTE services. Samsung's Exynos 9810 integrates an LTE Cat.18 baseband with a peak downlink speed of 1.2Gbps and an uplink peak speed of 200Mbps. Huawei's Kirin 980 also has a built-in baseband that supports LTE Cat.18 (4.5G, Pre 5G), 3CC CA, 4×4 MIMO, and 256QAM.

In 2019, when 5G devices are about to appear, Qualcomm, Samsung and Huawei have chosen to separate the 5G baseband from the SoC. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855, Samsung's Exynos 9820 and Kirin 980 do not have built-in 5G basebands. Instead, the Snapdragon X50, Exynos 5100 and Balong 5G01/5000 are separated and connected to the SoC to support the mobile phone to support 5G networks.

4G baseband and 5G baseband are inseparable

Why do manufacturers do this? The main reason is that a single 5G baseband cannot solve the problem of full network access and multi-mode. It needs to cooperate with the 4G baseband built into the SoC to support 3G and 4G networks. If the device only supports 5G networks, it will not be able to meet users' basic Internet access and communication needs under the conditions of 5G network coverage in the next two to three years.

You know, it is impossible for 5G network to cover all areas right at the beginning of 2020. In the next few years, it will not even catch up with the coverage of the existing 4G network. After all, 4G network has now achieved village-to-village coverage, and even remote mountainous areas and border ports have 4G network coverage. Devices that only support 5G network may cause us to lose signal while walking on the road. Although the moto Z3 phone is a 4G phone, it can realize 5G network function through the 5G module back cover, so the 5G baseband is inseparable from the 4G baseband.

5G baseband serves multiple types of terminals

Now we all know that the 5G era will be an era of interconnection of all things. In addition to smartphones, 5G networks will be used in the fields of Internet of Things, smart cars, smart factories, VR/AR, smart medical care, etc. These devices need the support of 5G baseband to connect to the 5G network. This is the benefit of independent 5G baseband.

For example, Intel's XMM 8160 5G baseband can be used in cars, drones, IoT, VR helmets and other devices. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X50 5G baseband has been used in China Mobile's 5G router terminals. Huawei's Balong 5G01 baseband was also announced at MWC 2018 for use in 5G routers, and more supporting devices were announced later.

Separation leads to a surge in 5G baseband shipments

The independence of 5G baseband will usher in a wave of shipments for baseband manufacturers. Qualcomm, Samsung, Intel, Huawei, and MediaTek all have independent 5G baseband products. Currently, Qualcomm's products are relatively mature, and it is likely to remain the only dominant player in the 5G era.

However, the independence of 5G baseband is also an opportunity for manufacturers to develop rapidly. In the 5G era, billions of devices around the world will need 5G networks. Manufacturers must not only ship SoCs, but also 5G basebands. Double shipments will make manufacturers a lot of money. Therefore, Intel, Samsung, Huawei, and MediaTek are also working on 5G basebands, trying to grab the market from Qualcomm as much as possible and make themselves bigger through 5G basebands.

Conclusion

From sweet cohabitation to complete separation, 5G baseband and SoC are not "marriage breakdown". Instead, the independence of 5G baseband provides more types of terminals with the opportunity to evolve. After all, 5G is an era of the Internet of Everything. We need to connect to 5G networks everywhere in our lives, and 5G baseband will appear in all types of devices in our lives. The independence of 5G baseband promotes the transformation of the entire society, which is a good thing.