Much like 5G networks, the Internet of Things is a huge focus of many technology companies right now, including Qualcomm. IoT or, the Internet of Things, is essentially a connected network of everyday products that can range from smart, connected home products such as washers and dryers, thermostats, light switches, and more, to various other connected machines that can be used for smart cities, infrastructure, industrial designs, and commercial applications. Today Qualcomm is announcing that they have “secured more than 100 design wins” of their IoT-focused chipsets that are being used by more than 60 different original equipment manufacturers around the globe.
These chipset designs are based on Qualcomm’s MDM9x07-1 Modem, which are made up of two separate modems including the Qualcomm Snapdragon X5LTE Modem and the MDM9207-1 Modem that is used for the Internet of Things. Qualcomm states that these modems were designed to offer a flexible use case with a focus on security, but are also optimized for “cellular connectivity and edge processing,” and that they can be used for a wide range of different IoT connected devices and systems across smart cities, commercial applications, and industrial designs. Some examples of devices or systems which may use these types of modems include smart lighting, point of sale systems, smart energy & metering, and building security just to name a few.
With the Internet of Things growing at a rapid pace, Qualcomm is driven to deliver technologies that can keep up, and is doing so with a scalable IoT platform through the evolution of LTE to power IoT connected devices and systems. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X5LTE modem is capable of support for LTE Category 4 as well as download speeds of up to 150Mbps. The other modem which makes up Qualcomm’s MDM9x07-1 modem, which is the MDM9207-1, is capable of support for LTE Category 1 and up to 10Mbps downlink speeds. It’s also capable of delivering a fairly long battery life from just two AA batteries, reaching up to a maximum of 10 years, as well as offering a power save mode that can help to ensure that the max battery life is reached. Qualcomm also states that they designed each modem to be compatible on a global scale with major cellular network standards, in addition to supporting the Linux OS and including things like an ARM Cortex A7 processor as well as support for Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth Low Energy. The company notes that commercial IoT devices which are based on both of these modems will be available starting from today, and that they will be showcasing the benefits of these modems at the Qualcomm booth during Mobile World Congress Shanghai between June 29th and July 1st.