Huawei was stunned by Qualcomm's 3nm test chip
In 2018, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) was a clear indicator of how fast the world was moving toward 5G. Qualcomm claimed that Huawei's 5G chip wasn't the first in the industry and criticized its large size as unsuitable for mobile devices. However, this didn't stop Huawei from making waves at the event, launching what it called the world’s first 3GPP-compliant 5G commercial chip.
Intel announced plans to deploy 5G technology for the Tokyo Olympics two years later, while Qualcomm showcased 5G simulation results in San Francisco and Frankfurt. The MWC 2018 was dominated by 5G discussions, with companies like Huawei, ZTE, and Intel all showcasing their latest advancements. It was clear that 5G was no longer just a future concept—it was already shaping the present.
In 2018, many considered it the “Year of 5G.†Unlike previous years, where new smartphones were the main attraction, this year saw a shift. Samsung's S9 series was the most talked about product, while Chinese brands like OPPO and Vivo chose not to attend. Xiaomi made its debut, but instead of launching new products, it opened its first store in Barcelona.
The lack of innovative terminal products at the event highlighted how much attention was being paid to 5G infrastructure and capabilities. Industry leaders, including standard organizations, governments, and equipment manufacturers, were eager to get ahead of the 5G curve, aiming for commercial deployment in 2019.
Huawei, as one of the leading ICT providers, launched the MateBook X Pro and the M5 tablet during the event. They also announced plans to release end-to-end 5G commercial products in 2018 and introduced Kirin chips and 5G-enabled smartphones in 2019.
ZTE, another major player, emphasized its leadership in 5G with themes like “5G Commercial,†“5G Connection,†and “Cloud-Enabled 5G.†The company invested 3 billion yuan annually in 5G research and had already completed the world’s first end-to-end system test based on the 3GPP R15 standard alongside Qualcomm and China Mobile.
Intel also demonstrated 5G applications before the MWC, including a successful demonstration at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018. It announced plans to support the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with NTT DOCOMO, focusing on network infrastructure and new user experiences.
Qualcomm, however, was not shy about its position. Peter Carson, a senior marketing director at Qualcomm, directly addressed Huawei, emphasizing that some companies were trying to rewrite history. He highlighted that Qualcomm had already released the world’s first 5G modem, the Snapdragon X50, and had achieved several key milestones, including the first 5G data call and interoperability tests with ZTE.
Despite these claims, Qualcomm admitted that some of its competitors’ 5G chips were still too large for mobile devices. Carson noted that the Snapdragon X50 was about the size of a 50-euro coin, suggesting that further miniaturization was needed.
At the same time, Qualcomm was working with 20 OEMs to create the first 5G smart terminals, expected to launch in 2019. It also partnered with 18 major operators worldwide, including China Mobile, to support 5G commercialization.
As 5G moved beyond the lab, real-world testing became more common. Qualcomm demonstrated large-scale 5G network simulations in Frankfurt and San Francisco, showing significant improvements in network capacity and response speed. In San Francisco, 5G download speeds reached up to 1.4 Gbps—20 times faster than 4G.
With the fifth phase of 5G testing scheduled to complete in June 2018, the industry was entering a critical period. Companies were racing to finalize their 5G strategies, hoping to gain a competitive edge.
Meanwhile, IMEC and Cadence announced the successful fabrication of the industry’s first 3nm test chip using EUV and 193i lithography. This marked a major step forward in semiconductor design and manufacturing, paving the way for even more advanced chips in the future.
As the 5G race intensified, Apple was also under scrutiny. Foreign media speculated that the iPhone might use baseband chips from Qualcomm, Samsung, or Intel. While Apple had previously used Intel’s chips, the ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm could change things. Some believed Apple might eventually develop its own 5G modem, given its experience with W-series wireless chips.
Ultimately, the question remained: which 5G baseband chip would Apple choose? The answer would likely shape the future of the smartphone market and determine who would lead the next generation of mobile technology.
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