Galaxy S26 Ultra could get this beastly new 5G modem - Apple, you paying attention?

Qualcomm has just announced its next 5G modem, the X85, which will bring faster speeds and better battery efficiency. The modem will ensure super fast 5G speeds and may come in phones like next year's Galaxy S26 Ultra.

With Apple developing its own modems now - at least so with the iPhone 16e, and probably for future iPhones too - things are getting more interesting with the growing competition. Qualcomm, however, is a leader on the scene and it's now bringing its latest 5G modem with faster speeds, better power efficiency, and smarter AI features.

Qualcomm announced the news during MWC 2025. The new Qualcomm X85 5G modem promises faster data speeds, improved battery life, and advanced AI features for a multitude of devices, ranging from flagship Android phones to even PCs and your occasional smart fridge (probably, the expensive ones).

The modem is what ensures you can connect to the 5G network with your smartphone or tablet. The X85 brings a plethora of upgrades over its predecessor. It now comes with 400MHz bandwidth, along with peak download speeds of 12.5 Gbps and upload speeds of 3.7 Gbps.

The X85 comes with the help of a built-in AI accelerator. This helps the modem get 30% faster at handling AI tasks than previous iterations. Yep, this means you can enjoy speed and smartness with less drain on your battery: so better signal, less lag, and all while your phone doesn't have to sacrifice its sweet and precious battery juice to achieve it.

But that's not all. The AI-powered 5G features of the X85 also bring smoother mobile gaming, smarter dual-SIM setups, and even more precise location tracking.

The modem is also suitable for all sorts of devices, including internet setups, cars, and even huge systems like railways. Definitely, Qualcomm's model's got way more ambition than the C1 in the iPhone 16e.

Apple's new modem, the C1, in the iPhone 16e, has received quite a lot of praise recently and has managed to surpass Qualcomm's chip in the iPhone 16 in terms of battery performance. Of course, the C1 is still behind Qualcomm's chips as it lacks mmWave support, and mmWave 5G is what will give you the fastest download and upload speeds.

The announcement and the fact that this new modem is more power efficient comes as great news. The X80 modem, which is currently powering the Galaxy S25 Ultra's abilities to connect to 5G (among other phones) is powerful but less battery efficient than Apple's C1. Now, maybe Qualcomm will turn things around and show Apple who's boss of internet connectivity. This modem will likely be in the S26 series, so we'll have to wait and see how it goes!