The next iPhone could let you download movies in seconds over a wireless LTE connection, if Apple chooses to put Qualcomm's new modem in the iPhone 7.

The company - who has provided the modem for the iPhone for a number of years - has announced a new model that would let users get speeds that are 500 per cent faster than 3G.

Dubbed the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, the new model is capable of download speeds up to 1Gbps, a huge boost on what is capable today, but without the need to drastically enhance the network infrastructure.

It means users who have the modem in their phone and are on a network capable of delivering those speeds can have instant access to the cloud as if it was on the device, play 360 video instantly, and be able to make even crisper and clearer video calls.

The US, Korea, and India will be some of the first countries to benefit from the speeds, but the UK won't be too far behind. EE is rumoured to be trialling a 1Gbps network in London before the end of 2016.

The new modem will be demoed at Mobile World Congress in February, but the company has told Pocket-lint that not only will the first commercial devices be available in the second half of 2016, but that it expects the modem and the ability to connect at those speeds to be mainstream within 2 years.

That bold statement follows the impressive rollout of CAT6 connectivity (this is CAT16), which is currently the fastest speed you can get over LTE. It delivers speeds of 600Mbps.

"This is the first glimpse of what 5G will be like," explained a spokesman for the company.

Qualcomm also claims that rather than have an adverse affect on battery life like the first wave of LTE devices, they will be more efficient in how they process the signal. The company has told Pocket-lint that it will actually result in better performance because downloads will take a shorter time, which in turn means that it doesn't need to be connected for as long.

Qualcomm wouldn't confirm that the modem will make it into the iPhone 7, merely telling us that the company is working with a number of partners, and that you can expect to see this new 1Gbps capable modem in range of different devices.