Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 can aggregate T-Mobile’s 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz 5G bands
Samsung this week debuted its latest flagship, the Galaxy S21, with across-the-board feature advancements and, of course, support for non-standalone and standalone 5G both sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave. Of interest n terms of network compatibility–especially to T-Mobile US users–is the inclusion in some regions of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform which supports aggregation of TDD and FDD spectrum.
Why is that important to T-Mo subs? The carriers has a nationwide standalone 600 MHz 5G network and is rapidly building out coverage in non-standalone mode using the 2.5 GHz spectrum that came from its acquisition of Sprint. The Snapdragon 888 will allow aggregation of those two bands.
Responding on Twitter to PCMag’s Sascha Segan, T-Mobile Vice President of Technology Neville Ray confirmed the S21’s ability to aggregate and low- and mid-band 5G.
There are three models of Samsung’s latest: The Galaxy S21, the S21+ and the S21 Ultra. For a breakdown of specs, click here for the S21 and S21+, and click here for the S21 Ultra.
In a press release, Samsung Electronics President and Head of Mobile Communications Business TM Roh said, “We are living in a mobile-first world, and with so many of us working remotely and spending more time at home, we wanted to deliver a smartphone experience that meets the rigorous multimedia demands of our continuously changing routines.”
The Snapdragon 888 has the X60 5G Modem-RF System integrated into the platform; the X60 is on its third iteration and can push 5G downlink speeds up to 7.5 Gbps.
“We are very proud to continue our longstanding strategic collaboration with Samsung Electronics to deliver the latest breakthrough mobile experiences to consumers,” Qualcomm’s Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager, mobile, compute, and infrastructure, said in a statement. “Powered by the flagship Snapdragon 888 in select regions, the new Galaxy S21 series pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in mobile.”
