At Tokyo Ham Fair 2026 on August 29, Icom finally ended months of speculation around its mysterious X-026 project. The answer: the IC-7110, official successor to the IC-7100 — the HF/VHF/UHF all-mode transceiver that defined its category for over a decade.
Twelve years of IC-7100 — and a one-year silence
Launched in 2013 and discontinued in May 2025, the IC-7100 ran one of the longest lifecycles in modern amateur radio. For more than a year, fans of its signature formula — HF to UHF in one box, all-mode support, a detachable control head — had no direct replacement on the market. The IC-7110 brings that exact formula back, positioned as a true generational successor rather than a facelift.
A teaser campaign that read the market perfectly
Icom first revealed X-026 on April 20, 2026, then showed concept models at Dayton Hamvention and HAM RADIO Friedrichshafen — silhouette renders and partial close-ups only, never a confirmed model number. Japanese outlet hamlife.jp predicted early on that X-026 would be an HF-to-430MHz all-mode set descended from the IC-7100, and the Ham Fair reveal confirmed that call almost exactly. With the IC-7100 gone for over a year, pent-up demand made this one of the most-watched moments of the show.
A clean break into the SDR era
The IC-7110 covers HF, 50, 144 and 430MHz (European versions add 70MHz) in SSB, CW, RTTY, AM, FM and D-STAR DV. Under the hood is a new-generation direct-sampling SDR platform, a 4.3-inch color touchscreen with real-time spectrum scope and waterfall, CW decoding, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, an integrated GNSS receiver and two fully independent receive chains. Icom has not yet published the full formal specification sheet, so several figures remain pending.
The detachable head survives — and gets smarter
The separated control panel returns. In a vehicle the main unit hides under a seat while the head stays within reach; at home the body does not have to dominate the desk. Field measurements by hamlife.jp put the head at roughly 198 x 83 x 39 mm and the main unit at about 168 x 58 x 240 mm. The cleverest change: the speaker now lives in the upper-right corner of the control head, while the main unit carries none — which is why that corner stayed covered in every teaser video. Note that the head cannot operate standalone; it must stay cabled to the body (3.5 m standard, 5 m optional).
From monochrome LCD to color waterfall
The IC-7100 touchscreen was ahead of its time in 2013, but its monochrome interface now belongs to another era. The IC-7110 4.3-inch color panel makes the spectrum scope and waterfall the center of operation — live signals, clear frequencies and drifting carriers visible at a glance. This is a radio designed around modern SDR interaction logic, not an old radio with a new screen bolted on.
Three power levels, three missions
The launch line-up splits into three versions: the standard IC-7110 (100W on HF/50MHz, 50W on 144/430MHz), the IC-7110M (50W across all bands) and the IC-7110S (10W on HF, 20W above) — home station, mobile and license-class-friendly low power respectively. One clarification from the reveal: despite the separated head, this is not a portable rig. The IC-705 remains Icom’s backpack QRP radio; the IC-7110 is the fixed-station and mobile workhorse. The two complement rather than compete.
Where it fits — and what is still unknown
In the current Icom line-up the IC-705 owns portable QRP, the IC-7300 rules HF base stations and the IC-9700 covers VHF/UHF and satellites. The IC-7110 reclaims the territory the IC-7100 vacated: one radio for home, car and field, HF through UHF in all modes with flexible deployment. Final pricing, regional launch dates and receiver figures such as sensitivity and dynamic range all await the official spec sheet.
Icom radios in stock right now
You do not have to wait for the IC-7110 to add Icom hardware to your fleet. While ham pricing for the new rig is unannounced, our warehouse carries proven Icom marine and accessory gear — shipped worldwide at wholesale rates:
This report is based on the IC-7110 unveiling at Tokyo Ham Fair 2026 and field coverage by hamlife.jp. Specifications are preliminary and subject to Icom’s official documentation.