Qualcomm unveils new chip to power 5G smartphones

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Qualcomm is seen during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 27, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO: Chip supplier Qualcomm Inc on Dec 4 unveiled a new generation of mobile phone processor chips that will power 5G smartphones in the United States as soon as next year.

The key feature of the Snapdragon 855 chip, launched at an event in Hawaii, is a so-called modem for phones to connect to 5G wireless data networks with mobile data speeds of up to 50 or 100 times faster than current 4G networks.