Qualcomm was heavily represented at MWC 2026. There, the chipset manufacturer announced the X105 5G modem, which will be built into the next Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 SoC. The X105 modem will, of course, be included in any future device that uses this new chipset. The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is ready for the update already.
The 8 Elite Gen 5 was equipped with the outdated Qualcomm X85 5G modem. It was the first modem that fully supported 3GPP (Release 19). Although it is still a 5G advanced modem, that technology essentially set the stage for 6G networks.
The Qualcomm X105 modem continues where the X85 modem left off. By the way, the chipset manufacturer is still working on this 5G modem. The keynote address at MWC was merely a PowerPoint. In the third quarter of 2026, this new platform will be made available alongside the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
They did hint at potential improvements in speeds for the X105 modem. The X105 has peak download rates of 14.8 Gbps, which are only reduced to 13.2 Gbps on sub-6GHz networks. The maximum upload rates of the modem were approximately 4.2 Gbps. Visit our website to review the available data on Samsung’s devices and the Samsung Price Catalog.
The new RF transceiver has been linked with the X105 modem. Therefore, it might use 30% less power than the X85. At least for handsets with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, the Quad Frequency GNSS capability might improve location accuracy.
The X105 is equipped with an AI system that the company uses to forecast and optimize network connectivity. It is available as an API that smartphone manufacturers can utilize to create their own tools for network optimization. A few versions have lately been observed on Oppo, Vivo, and Infinix devices.
There’s another update, which might be the most significant for upcoming phones. A new Radio Non-Terrestrial Network (NR-NTN) function in the X105 may enable mobile devices to support satellite 5G. The new X105 modem built into the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 SoC is probably going to be used by the Galaxy S27 Ultra. An official affirmation is all that’s required. For updates, keep an eye on the news.