TL; DR
- The Snapdragon X85 5G RF system will power the Android flagships for 2026. It increases the peak download speed to 12.5 Gbps.
The modem also supports 10,000+ band configurations for enhanced global support and the first AI-powered Data Traffic Engine for improved mobile gaming.
Qualcomm, the leading 5G modem solutions provider for OEMs, has launched a new RF system for smartphones: the Snapdragon X85 5G modem. The latest-generation modem comes at a time when Apple is gearing up to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm (the C1 sub-system on the iPhone 16e being the first step toward that).
However, the Snapdragon X85 5G RF system will surely power the Android flagships for 2026, including the ones from manufacturers like iQOO, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Samsung (as the current flagship iterations from these brands also feature a Snapdragon X series modem). Without any further ado, let’s discuss the latest Qualcomm mode in more detail.
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Snapdragon X85 5G: Connectivity And Download/Upload Speeds
The eight-generation 5G modem-to-antenna solution and fourth-generation AI-powered platform set new wireless connectivity standards for the Android ecosystem. The platform supports both sub-6 GHz mmWave 5G connectivity, making it a versatile chip for use in markets around the world.
The Snapdragon X85 5G sub-system increases the peak download speed to 12.5 Gbps. This is a 25% improvement over the 10 Gbps peak download speed of the Snapdragon X75 5G, a modem that powers 5G cellular data on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the OnePlus 13, and the iPhone 16 series (except the iPhone 16e).
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Snapdragon X85 5G Features AI-Powered Data Traffic Engine
The upload speed has gone up from 3.5 Gbps on the X75 to 3.7 Gbps on the X85. The modem also supports 10,000+ band configurations for enhanced global support and the first AI-powered Data Traffic Engine for improved mobile gaming and smooth video or voice calling. It is also the first (as claimed by the company) modem to provide 3CC + 1CC Turbo DSDA dua-SIM dual-active technology.
With dedicated tensor accelerator hardware for 5G and 5G Advanced, the modem provides 30% AI interference. Moreover, the integration of machine learning and AI-driven capabilities brings improvements in speed, efficiency, coverage, and power consumption.
| Snapdragon X85 5G | Snapdragon X75 5G | Apple C1 | |
| Peak Download Speed | 12.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 4 Gbps |
| Peak Upload Speed | 3.7 Gbps | 3.5 Gbps | – |
| 5G Connectivity | Sub-6 GHz and mmWave | Sub-6 GHz and mmWave | Sub-6 GHz |
| Satellite Connectivity | Yes | Yes | – |
Qualcomm says that the modem is fit for usage on personal computers, wireless access points, extended reality (XR) headsets, and automotive use cases. Along with the Snapdragon X85 5G modem, the company also launched the Qualcomm X82 5G Modem-RF for multi-gigabit download/upload speeds.
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