5G keeps your PC online at all times

You're racing against time to send an important email before a deadline, but your laptop freezes up. It's a modern technology nightmare you're probably all too familiar with.

When it finally restarts, you’re stuck connecting to slow, unsecured Wi-Fi. Because laptops don’t have mobile Internet, unlike phones.

This is what we take for granted. Smartphones are our connected devices, while laptops are tethered to power cords and Wi-Fi, making them essentially useless during commutes and business trips. Instead of using that time to get your most important work done, you’re forced to settle for answering less important emails on your smartphone.

"Your computer is probably one of the few screened devices in your home that isn't always connected to the internet," said Miguel Nunes, senior director of product management at Qualcomm. "Your water meter is probably connected to 3G or LTE internet."

Today, this situation is finally changing, and this change can be attributed in part to the younger generation. They grew up in a mobile environment and believe that "devices with screens" and "internet" naturally coexist. The younger generation expects all their devices, whether it's a laptop or a TV, to be able to achieve uninterrupted connectivity. - Why not?

"When I told my 6-year-old daughter that her computer wasn't connected to the Internet, she asked me, 'Why? How is that possible?'" Nunez said.

Qualcomm is rethinking the PC to meet the expectations of mobile Internet natives and mobile workers, who have long complained that laptops don’t meet their personal and professional needs. “People want the freedom of fast connectivity anywhere, anytime, and long battery life to get multiple days of use on a single charge,” said Nunes.

As 5G arrives, broadband speeds will multiply, making mobile experiences more instant and efficient, and Qualcomm is bringing its mobile technology to computers, making them as connected as smartphones. “Qualcomm’s technology powered the smartphone revolution,” said Nunes, “and now we’re bringing it to computers.”

Demand drives technological change

For decades, computer makers have tried to find a balance between processor performance and power consumption. Typically, more powerful chipsets tend to consume more energy, which in turn generates heat inside the computer, Nunes said.

That's where the problem comes in. With too much heat generated, the computer must throttle its performance when it comes to dissipating that heat. Engineers built fans into the computer to cool it, but that also had the unfortunate consequence of adding bulky fans to the laptop's noise and size.

"They get hot, are too thick, are noisy, and have bulky batteries. Users are generally reluctant to carry such computers with them unless they have to," said Nunes.

That's not all the problems that plague laptops. Network connectivity is also a vexing problem. Nunes said traditional computer chipsets can't always integrate modems, GPUs, GPS, and other components without draining the battery. He also said that in the past, laptops were equipped with modems, which were usually designed for business users and were too expensive for individual consumers.

"For ordinary users, they feel that Wi-Fi is sufficient to meet their computer needs," said Nunes. "It is this factor that limits the application of mobile Internet on computers."

But the smartphone revolution changed everything.

5G keeps PC online at all times

You love your smartphone because it keeps you connected to text, stream, work, and play in an energy-efficient way. Your PC is about to get the same: The Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ mobile platform is a small, integrated mobile system-on-a-chip that includes multiple advanced processors, a high-speed modem, and other essential components. It allows manufacturers to install larger batteries in PCs, helping to reduce power consumption without increasing the size of the machine.

“If you take this idea of ​​‘mobile design’ and bring it to a larger device, it frees up so much space,” Nunes said. “It gives manufacturers more flexibility to make devices thinner, have more battery space, add more new features, and make computers more portable.”

But energy savings aren’t the only thing. In order to develop laptops that offer three to seven times faster than average internet speeds, Qualcomm has brought the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to PCs.

“Today, mobile Internet speeds are so fast that in many cases you can do more with your laptop’s built-in connection than with an unsecured Wi-Fi network,” said Nunes.

Start a new digital life

This always-on computer shows that your digital devices and digital life will become more portable, powerful, and secure in the near future. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, you may no longer be bound by power cords or affected by unsecured networks. Every generation of users can benefit from these features because they can enjoy high-definition entertainment, mobile office, and video chat with friends and family on the same device.

“You can use your laptop like a phone,” Nunes said, “and you can do more on a bigger screen.”

You can work all day without having to deal with power cords. On the way to the airport, you can quickly connect to the Internet without having to worry about the risks and hassles of paid Wi-Fi due to its low security. In the time that wasted on the Internet in the past, you may have downloaded a movie or handled a lot of work with colleagues.

As technology changes, more and more mobile office users choose laptops that are always online. It is the younger generation who grew up in a mobile Internet environment that points out that offline devices are outdated, and it is this demand that drives the evolution of laptops.

So, the question is, what other devices can mobile technology enhance?

“With the first wave of always-on, connected PCs, we also wanted to reinvent the user experience,” said Nunes. “We’re really focused on helping operating system providers, mobile operators, manufacturers use Qualcomm’s technology to redefine the PC as we know it.”

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