Samsung Electronics has added a 5G modem-integrated chip edition to its mobile processor lineup Exynos, with the aim of popularizing 5G mobile devices, the tech giant announced Wednesday.

Dubbed “Exynos 980,” it is the first artificial intelligence mobile processor with an integrated 5G modem in a single chip.

The newest chip is being provided for customers this month and is scheduled to be mass-produced within the year. 

Compared to previous chips that are separated from communications modems, the integrated processor improves both power and space efficiency within a device, the firm said.

In addition, the Exynos 980 can cover from 2G to 5G networks, enabling a fast gigabit downlink speed on 4G and up to 2.55 gigabits per second on 5G.

When 4G and 5G networks are connected at the same time, the speed goes up to 3.55 Gbps, the company said.

Such speed is expected to be useful and more stable for online gaming and high-resolution video streaming over Wi-Fi networks.

“With the 5G-integrated Exynos 980, Samsung is pushing to make 5G more accessible to a wider range of users and continues to lead innovation in the mobile 5G market,” said Ben Hur, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung.

The latest 5G mobile processor also features a neural processing unit that has improved the processing process by 2.7 times compared to the previous chips, according to Samsung.

The NPU-embedded in the mobile chip will be necessary for on-device AI, enabling the support of mixed reality and intelligent camera functions without the need for communicating with a cloud system in a more secure environment for users.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)