For several years, I have closely followed the PC and mobile phone processor development. My main mobile devices have been the nexus and then pixel line of phones. I used every released version of these phones from the Nexus one to Pixel 4 save for the Pixel 3. I have used a few other phones models.

The issue here has nothing to do with the manufactures of the phones but the chip maker of the phones and in this case Qualcomm. They have held about 50% of the market share for years and the biggest player in the industry.

In December 2018, Qualcomm announced their Snapdragon X50 5G modem alongside the Snapdragon 855. The 855 chipset crowned most android flagships and it had the 4g modem built-in. For 5g phones the X50 modems would be needed. So we had flagships this year in 4g and 5g versions. The 4g versions only needed the 855 chips and the 5g versions would need the 855 chip + X50 chip. This made the 5g versions bigger and more power hungry for comparable models.

I decided not to get a 5g phone because the X50 chip could only work either at the high bands or the low bands of the spectrum. I knew their next chip would incorporate both bands and I was right.

In December 2019 this year, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon X52 5G modem alongside the Snapdragon 865. The X52 chip had both the high bands and low bands incorporated which was the flexibility I desired but then Qualcomm disappointed in their design.

In the newly released Snapdragon 865 processor, the 4g modem is not part of the chip. Instead Qualcomm added it to the X52 chip…that means all phones with the 865 chip must use the X52 module. This is not the best of design that I expected from Qualcomm this year. They should at least include the 4g modem in the 865 chip. Then for 5g phones the X52 can be added. Qualcomm themselves knew this is not the best of design but like every company they will make more bucks.

In December 2020, Qualcomm will be releasing their next SoC and I expect the 5g modems to be part of the chipset. That will bring about more efficient 5g phones.