It apparently takes more than a cross-border legal battle and a hostile takeover attempt going on at the same time to throw a wrench in Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s product development efforts.

The chipmaker today unveiled a new LTE modem chip for mobile devices it said is an industry first in several regards. Most notably, the X24 can provide a maximum download speed of 2 gigabytes per second, a more than 60 percent increase over the previous model. Consumers are unlikely to see such transfer rates in practice, but the chip’s improved design does create opportunities for carriers to enhance connectivity.

The X24 is based on a seven-nanometer transistor architecture that Qualcomm said is another industry first. In the radio department, the modem packs four transmitters and four receivers that can handle up to 20 high-speed LTE data streams at once. This feature will enable X24-powered devices to access more carrier spectrum bands than current hardware, which should boost mobile connectivity speeds.

Qualcomm’s ambitions extend beyond handsets as well. Alongside the X24, the company unveiled what it calls Wireless Edge Services, a set of software capabilities for managing connected devices.

The technology will bring ready-made management functions to select Qualcomm modems. According to the company, device makers will gain the ability to remotely roll out updates, activate or deactivate features and perform other maintenance tasks. That could save manufacturers the hassle of implementing these features from scratch, potentially making its chips more appealing.

Intel is pursuing a similar strategy. In October, the company introduced a service called Enhanced Privacy ID that aims to make connected devices fitted with its chips a harder target for hackers. At a high level, the technology lets an endpoint connect to an operator’s servers without giving away certain sensitive data that could potentially be exploited by a would-be attacker.

Qualcomm will start shipping chips with Wireless Edge Services in the second half of 2018. The new X24 is being made available to hardware makers for evaluation. 

Image: Qualcomm