With its new platform announcement Monday morning, Qualcomm is already making progress toward Wi-Fi 7 support, as the wireless communications company named an expected release date for its new FastConnect 7800 connectivity system, which will support Wi-Fi 7 High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link and next-generation Dual Bluetooth capabilities.
The new technology is the world’s first publicly announced Wi-Fi 7 enabled product, and it is expected to be available for purchase in the second half of 2022. This indicates a shift toward Wi-Fi 7 as the wireless communication standard of the future, which may not be fully supported across most devices until 2024. Qualcomm’s entry into the Wi-Fi 7 sector marks the next step toward the Metaverse becoming a commonplace application.
“Qualcomm Technologies reasserts its leadership by defining the future of wireless connectivity with FastConnect 7800.” “Introducing the first Wi-Fi 7 solution to the industry may 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 Qualcomm Technologies’ Mobile Compute and Connectivity. “FastConnect 7800 is simply the best client connectivity offering in the industry, with up to 50% lower power consumption and Intelligent Dual Bluetooth with advanced Snapdragon Sound capabilities.”
Increased Speeds And A Greater Range
According to the company, the FastConnect 7800 platform also introduces Qualcomm’s High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Multi-Link technology, which allows 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.” The Wi-Fi 7 integration will reportedly use two Wi-Fi radios to provide four streams of high-band connectivity in the 5GHz and 6GHz bands. This expansion into higher frequency bands is expected to support Qualcomm’s Dual Bluetooth and Snapdragon Sound technologies, resulting in lower power consumption and latency times.
The 4-band HBS is based on Qualcomm’s 4-stream Dual-Band Simultaneous technology, which enables low-latency performance between access point and client or independently for multi-client scenarios. The company provides a practical example of a mobile device connecting to a Wi-Fi 6E access point and an XR headset at the same time without encountering low bandwidth or connection speeds.
Bluetooth Capabilities Have Been Improved.
In terms of audio, the Snapdragon Sound integrated with Dual Bluetooth provides Bluetooth LE Audio and Bluetooth 5.3, as well as next-generation Intelligent Dual Bluetooth 16-bit 44.1kHz CD Lossless Bluetooth audio quality and 24-bit 96kHz high resolution Bluetooth audio quality. Furthermore, the Snapdragon Sound will support 32kHz super wideband voice for crystal clear calls. These audio enhancements will be provided by two radios, doubling the range and allowing for the simultaneous syncing of multiple devices in a fraction of the time. Because of the reduced synchronization time, users can instantly move their connections from a smartphone to a PC or automobile.
Qualcomm’s advancement in gaming mode is expected to deliver 68ms low latency audio for lag-free gaming as well as a voice channel for in-game chat for use in XR headsets. These speed and sound quality enhancements will enable LE Audio to be used for audio sharing and streaming, as well as stereo recording for content creators, allowing streamers to post recorded content with stereo sound quality. These Bluetooth devices can also help with streaming content via high-bandwidth audio and highly responsive connections to game controllers via FastConnect and Snapdragon Sound.
These advancements in speed and connectivity enable users to enjoy top-tier performance in both gaming and everyday use.
