Qualcomm Unveils Advancements in Connectivity and AI at MWC Barcelona 2025
TL;DR:
- Qualcomm introduces the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF, enhancing 5G connectivity.
- The company showcases advancements in 5G Open RAN and a new 5G Advanced FWA platform.
- Qualcomm collaborates with IBM to drive enterprise-grade generative AI solutions.
- Demonstrations highlight agentic and multimodal AI experiences across Snapdragon devices.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has unveiled its latest innovations in wireless connectivity and on-device AI at MWC Barcelona 2025. The company showcased the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF, advancements in 5G Open RAN, a new 5G Advanced fixed wireless access platform, and collaborations driving enterprise-grade generative AI solutions.
Advancing 5G Modem Technology
Qualcomm Technologies introduced the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF, its eighth-generation 5G modem-to-antenna solution and fourth-generation AI-powered 5G connectivity platform. This platform sets new benchmarks for 5G, providing connectivity leadership to the Android ecosystem. It achieves peak download speeds up to 12.5 Gbps and supports sub-6 and mmWave for seamless streaming, downloads, and gaming. The Qualcomm X85 features an improved Qualcomm 5G AI Processor with a hardware tensor accelerator, enhancing user experiences through AI-driven improvements in speed, efficiency, coverage, and power consumption.
The company also revealed new 4G IoT modems, including one with an industry-first integrated SIM (iSIM) to deliver ultra-low power connectivity across various networks and IoT devices. Read more here.
5G Open RAN Deployment
Qualcomm Technologies announced significant momentum in its 5G Open RAN (O-RAN) solutions. Viettel, Vietnam’s largest mobile network operator, has deployed a live 5G O-RAN Massive MIMO network using Qualcomm Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms. NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s largest mobile network operator, has selected O-RAN virtualized Distributed Units (vDUs) leveraging Qualcomm Dragonwing X100 Accelerator Cards for its nationwide 5G vRAN network deployment. Read more here.
Redefining Mobile Broadband with 5G Advanced
Qualcomm Technologies launched the Qualcomm Dragonwing Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Gen 4 Elite Platform, the world’s first 5G Advanced FWA platform. Powered by the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF, this platform delivers ultra-fast wireless mobile broadband experiences, with downlink speeds up to 12.5 Gbps. It features on-device AI-enhanced traffic classification and 40 TOPS edge AI integration, boosting network performance and paving the way for advanced generative AI innovation at the network edge. Read more here.
Leading the Industry Toward 6G
Qualcomm Technologies continues to lead in advanced wireless research across 5G Advanced, 6G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB. The company focuses on foundational evolution for ubiquitous coverage and massive capacity, operational optimization through AI and digital twins, and enabling emerging services like immersive experiences and integrated sensing. Read morehere.
Showcasing Edge AI Capabilities
At MWC, Qualcomm Technologies demonstrated its leadership in hybrid AI through various demonstrations and collaborations. The company showcased how on-device AI and edge computing unlock the full potential of AI on devices, creating intuitive and responsive user experiences.
Qualcomm Technologies and IBM announced an expanded collaboration to drive enterprise-grade generative AI solutions across edge and cloud. This includes enabling support for IBM’s Granite models through the Qualcomm AI Hub and showcasing integration of watsonx.governance across edge devices. Read more here.
The company also demonstrated on-device, multimodal experiences showcasing agentic AI across Snapdragon-powered smartphones, PCs, and smart glasses. These demonstrations featured AI agent user interfaces for tasks involving music, navigation, weather, and messaging information.
For more information about Qualcomm’s latest announcements at MWC Barcelona 2025, visit the Qualcomm press kit here.
