Qualcomm announces new chip with Wi-Fi 7 capability and Bluetooth enhancements

The company announced its upcoming release of the connectivity system, to be released later this year.

Qualcomm is already making headway on supporting Wi-Fi 7 with its new platform announcement Monday morning, as the wireless communications company named an expected release date of its new FastConnect 7800 connectivity system, which will support Wi-Fi 7 High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link and next-gen Dual Bluetooth capabilities.

The new technology is the world’s first announced Wi-Fi 7 enabled product on the market, and is expected to be available for purchase by the second half of 2022. This signals a move towards Wi-Fi 7 as the future of wireless communication, which may not be fully supported across most devices until 2024. The branch for Qualcomm into the Wi-Fi 7 sector signals the next step towards the Metaverse becoming an commonplace application.

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“With FastConnect 7800, Qualcomm Technologies reasserts its leadership by defining the future of wireless connectivity. Introducing the first Wi-Fi 7 solution to the industry might be enough for some, but with the introduction of HBS Multi-Link we take performance to the next level, shattering expectations for speed and latency,” said Dino Bekis, vice president and general manager of Mobile Compute and Connectivity at Qualcomm Technologies. “Coupled with up to 50% lower power consumption and Intelligent Dual Bluetooth with advanced Snapdragon Sound capabilities, FastConnect 7800 is simply the best client connectivity offering in the industry.”

Increased speeds, wider range

The FastConnect 7800 platform also introduces Qualcomm’s High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Multi-Link technology, allowing growth for the potential of “multiple 5GHz and 6GHz connections to deliver the highest throughput and lowest sustained latency, while reserving high-traffic 2.4GHz spectrum for Bluetooth and lower-bandwidth Wi-Fi,” according to the company. The Wi-Fi 7 integration is expected to leverage two Wi-Fi radios for four streams of high-band connectivity in 5GHz and 6GHz bands. This extension into higher bands is anticipated to support Qualcomm’s Dual Bluetooth and Snapdragon Sound technologies to assist with decreased power consumption and lower latency times.

The 4-band HBS builds on Qualcomm’s 4-stream Dual-Band Simultaneous, allowing for low-latency performance between access point and client or independently for multi-client scenarios. A practical example provided by the company details a mobile device connecting to a Wi-Fi 6E access point and a XR headset at the same time, without dealing with low bandwidth or connection speeds.

Enhanced Bluetooth capabilities

In the audio arena, the Snapdragon Sound integrated with Dual Bluetooth delivers Bluetooth LE Audio and Bluetooth 5.3 with next-generation Intelligent Dual Bluetooth 16-bit 44.1khz CD Lossless Bluetooth audio quality and 24-bit 96kHz high resolution Bluetooth audio quality. Additionally, the Snapdragon Sound will exhibit 32kHz super wideband voice support for crystal clear calls. These audio enhancements will be provided by two radios for double the range and allowing for the syncing of multiple devices simultaneously in a fraction of the time. The reduction of synchronization time allows for users to move their connections from a smartphone to a PC or automobile instantly.

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In gaming mode, Qualcomm’s advancement is expected to deliver 68ms low latency audio for lag-free gaming and a voice channel for in-game chat for use in XR headsets. These improvements in speed and sound quality will utilize LE Audio for audio sharing and streaming purposes along with stereo recording for content creators, enabling streamers to post recorded content with stereo sound quality. Through FastConnect and Snapdragon Sound, these Bluetooth devices can also assist with streaming content through high-bandwidth audio and highly responsive connections to game controllers.

These advancements in speed and connectivity allow for users to experience top-end performance in both gaming environments and everyday use.