China is making strides in mobile network technology by introducing 5.5G support for smartphones, marking the evolution beyond 5G connectivity, also known as 5G Advanced.
Leading the charge, Oppo’s flagship Find X7 series will be the first to embrace 5.5G technology, followed by Vivo’s X Fold 3 and X100 series, slated to receive it via an OTA update following Oppo’s rollout. Xiaomi is also on the horizon, integrating 5.5G technology into its 14 Ultra smartphone.
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A demonstration shared by Qualcomm’s official Weibo account showcased the Xiaomi 14 Ultra achieving an impressive download speed of 5,132Mbps through 5.5G, surpassing its previous 5G record. The test, conducted in collaboration with China Mobile and ZTE, highlighted the capabilities of the Snapdragon X75 modem embedded within the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
The rollout extends beyond these flagship models, with an additional 20 smartphones expected to adopt 5.5G technology this year. China Mobile’s ambitious plans aim to deploy the network in over 300 cities and attract 20 million 5.5G subscribers within a year. In contrast, China achieved 850 million 5G subscribers by February of this year.
5G Advanced represents a significant leap in network capabilities, offering a tenfold increase in capacity with downlink speeds of up to 10Gbps and uplink speeds reaching 1Gbps. This expanded capacity facilitates the integration of an estimated 100 billion IoT devices into the network, while also significantly reducing latency compared to existing 5G networks.
