AT&T's Latest 5G Midband Network Will Support More of Its Older Devices

AT&T's Latest 5G Midband Network Will Support More of Its Older Devices

AT&T is updating its list of devices that will be capable of connecting to its latest 5G midband networks. After originally saying that it might only enable support for its new 3.45 GHz network on some of the latest and greatest 2022 devices, the nation's third-largest carrier now tells CNET it will bring support for the spectrum to all of its devices that currently support its C-band spectrum. 

That list as of press time consists of over 30 products, including all 5G iPhones going back to 2020's iPhone 12 line, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 lines and Google's Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. 

Other devices on the list include Samsung's foldable phones (Z Flip 3 and 4 along with Z Fold 3 and 4), Apple's 5G iPads and a variety of budget phones from Motorola (G Stylus 5G, 2021 G Stylus and 2022 Moto G 5G) and Samsung (A53 5G, A13 5G). Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 FE 5G tablet, Netgear's Nighthawk M6 and M6 Pro hotspots will also gain support for the new spectrum. 

The carrier would not give an exact timeline for when the software updates will be rolled out, but according to Chris Sambar, AT&T's executive vice president of network, they should arrive "by the end of the year." 

When you consider that the carrier has increasingly been offering deals incentivizing users to upgrade to 5G devices on 36-month installment plans, extending support to older devices like 2020's iPhone 12 will be important for allowing those locked into a device payment plan to be better able to utilize more of AT&T's 5G network as it continues to expand.

This update will be particularly important for AT&T users as the 3.45 GHz spectrum will help make up AT&T's midband 5G footprint. The carrier spent $9.1 billion on this spectrum, and together with similar C-band airwaves it acquired last year, it aims to cover 200 million people with these midband 5G networks by the end of 2023. 

AT&T says that both the C-band and the 3.45GHz frequencies can work together, allowing the company to offer better performance than if it were relying solely on C-band. Sambar notes that while not every cell site will have access to both 3.45GHz and C-band, the "majority" will get both bands. 

When it comes to 5G, having midband spectrum is proving to be incredibly valuable. Although there are three different "flavors" of 5G (low-band, midband and a higher-frequency millimeter-wave), wireless service delivered over the midband spectrum offers the best combination of range and speed improvements. This is why all three major US operators have spent so much money acquiring and deploying network upgrades on these frequencies. 

In an interview with CNET, Sambar says that the carrier now covers over 80 million people with its C-band network and will strive to "approach" availability to 100 million people by end of this year. 

By comparison, rival Verizon already covers 100 million people with its C-band 5G network and aims to reach over 175 million people this year. T-Mobile, meanwhile, continues to lead the field with its midband coverage and reaches over 235 million people today, with goals for its midband 5G to be accessible to 260 million people by the end of 2022 and to 300 million by the end of 2023. 

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Qualcomm's new chip will boost gaming on phones from Motorola, Xiaomi and others

Qualcomm's new chip will boost gaming on phones from Motorola, Xiaomi and others

Qualcomm just launched a new high-end Snapdragon 888 smartphone processor, but it's already got another chipset available to power slightly cheaper phones. The company on Tuesday unveiled its Snapdragon 870, which will be used by companies like Motorola and Xiaomi in their upcoming devices.

The Snapdragon 888, unveiled in December, powers Samsung's new Galaxy S21 lineup and will be in most high-end Android phones hitting the market this year. It's aimed at flagship phones considered to be the best-of-the-best, as well as the priciest. The Snapdragon 870 falls a step below that. 

It's not quite as powerful as the 888, but its CPU and GPU are about 10% better than the Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm's highest-end chipset for Android phones from the previous year. By comparison, the Snapdragon 888 provides a 25% improvement in CPU and a 35% boost in GPU over the Snapdragon 865. The new Snapdragon 870 "is designed to deliver increased performance across the board for geared-up gameplay," Qualcomm said. 

The continued advance of 5G is more critical than ever now that the coronavirus has radically changed our world. People are stuck at home and are maintaining their distance from each other, forcing them to rely on home broadband service -- something 5G could amp up. The next-generation cellular technology, which boasts anywhere from 10 to 100 times the speed of 4G and rapid-fire responsiveness, could improve everything from simple video conferencing to telemedicine and advanced augmented and virtual reality. Gaming is one area that's expected to benefit from 5G's responsiveness and fast speeds. 

Notably, the Snapdragon 870, like the Snapdragon 865 and 865 Plus processor before it, doesn't have an  5G modem that's integrated on the same chipset as the brains of the device. Integrated chips, like the Snapdragon 888, allow for better battery life, lower costs and thinner and lighter designs. In the case of the Snapdragon 870, handset makers will have to buy a separate Qualcomm 5G modem to connect the device to cellular networks.

Motorola, iQOO, OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi all plan to introduce phones with the processor starting in the first quarter of the year. They'll likely be priced below $800. 

"Benefiting from the powerful performance of the new Snapdragon 870 5G Mobile Platform, we will continue to build high-end flagship device and bring more surprises to global consumers regarding 5G, camera, AI and more," Lei Zhang, vice president of Mi Smartphone and general manager of hardware R&D at Xiaomi, said in a statement.

Xiaomi last week came under fire from the Trump administration for being what the US calls a "Communist Chinese military" company. The designation isn't as severe as what Huawei has faced -- American companies like Qualcomm aren't allowed to sell components to Huawei -- but it forces American investors to sell their stakes in the Chinese handset maker. Huawei's troubles with the US had opened an opportunity for Xiaomi to gain more buyers, both inside China and out. In the third quarter of 2020, Xiaomi surpassed Apple to became the world's third biggest handset vendor. But the new designation creates an overhang on Xiaomi and raises worries it soon could face a US export ban like Huawei.

"If Xiaomi is included in the US Entity List (ie, export ban), it would significantly impact its ability to procure components ... to make smartphones," Jefferies analyst Edison Lee noted. He estimated that Xiaomi gets about 70% of its smartphone processors from Qualcomm. 

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