Qualcomm has been a major player in 5G so far, and today it's keeping that position with the launch of a new 5G modem.

The Snapdragon X60 features several improvements over the 5G modems that've come out of Qualcomm before it. It's the world's first 5nm 5G baseband and the first to aggregate millimeter wave (mmWave) and sub-6 bands.

"This 5G modem-to-antenna solution is designed to enhance the performance and capacity for operators worldwide while increasing average 5G speeds in mobile devices," Qualcomm says.

This new Snapdragon X60 promises peak download speeds of 7.5Gbps, up from 5Gbps on the X50 and 7Gbps on the X55. The Snapdragon X60 is also capable of 3Gbps peak upload speeds.

Qualcomm touts that the Snapdragon X60 can double peak data rates for sub-6 5G when in standalone mode.

Included with the Snapdragon X60 is the new Qualcomm QTM535 mmWave antenna module. This is Qualcomm's third generation 5G mmWave antenna module and it features a more compact design that'll take up less space in smartphones, making room for other components.

Overall the Snapdragon X60 looks like a solid improvement over the Snapdragon X55 modem. Not only has the peak download speed gotten a bump, but the mmWave and sub-6 aggregation is a nice addition, too. And the 5nm means that the X60 should have a smaller footprint and better power efficiency.

Qualcomm says that we can expect to see the first commercial devices with the Snapdragon X60 in early 2021.