Qualcomm today announced the WCN3998, a pre-standard 802.11ax WiFi radio for smartphones, tablets, and notebooks.
Qualcomm says the WCN3998 is faster, more power efficient, and more secure than previous designs. To start, the 802.11ax spec allows for more throughput for each user, thanks to 8×8 MU-MIMO, even on congested access points. This ensures that end users see an increase of speeds by a factor of two. Moreover, the WCN3998 puts strict power management algorithms to work in order to reduce power consumption by up to 67%.
The WiFi radio is among the first to adopt WPA3 encryption from the WiFi Alliance. WPA3 provides a much greater degree of security on home, public, and enterprise networks, and can even protect those who fail to pick strong passwords.
Last, the WCN3998 adopts Bluetooth 5.1 with extended data rate and low energy mode. This makes for more robust wireless audio connections and battery life improvements of up to 75%. Qualcomm says the WCN3998 supports pre-draft access points that it expects to reach the market later this year and early next year.
The WiFi radio will find its way into flagship smartphones by the end of 2018.
