Today in Barcelona, Qualcomm officially debuted the company's next-generation Snapdragon processor. Coming in either single, dual- or quad-core models, the new chipset is able to clock in at a whopping 2.5Ghz. However, the significant improvement in speed won't mean that the CPU drains more power, as Qualcomm has announced that the new chipset will require 65% less power. There will be 3D support, GPS and NFC support, as well as LTE connectivity support. The new chipset will also offer advanced graphics with the integrated Adreno GPU. The new CPU will also support all of the major operating systems.
As much as I want to say that these new chips will find their way into phones tomorrow, that's not going to happen. While we're seeing more dual-core phones coming to the market, it probably won't be until the end of 2011 that we start seeing the fruits of Qualcomm's labors here. But, it's exciting to see how fast our phones are going to be in the near future. Anyone want to make a guess which manufacturer will be the first to bring a quad-core phone to market? The full press release is below for your viewing pleasure.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – February 14, 2011 – Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced its next mobile processor architecture for the Snapdragon family. The new processor micro-architecture, code-named Krait, in the next-generation Snapdragon will redefine performance for the industry, offering speeds of up to 2.5GHz per core and delivering 150 percent higher overall performance, as well as 65 percent lower power than currently available ARM-based CPU cores. These chipsets will be available in single-, dual- and quad-core versions and include a new Adreno® GPU series with up to four 3D cores, and integrated multi-mode LTE modem.
The latest family of Snapdragon chipsets will include the single-core MSM8930™, the dual-core MSM8960™ and the quad-core APQ8064™. All chipsets in the family will integrate a quad-combo of connectivity solutions — WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM — and include support for near field communication (NFC), as well as stereoscopic 3D (S3D) video and photo capture and playback. Support for every major operating system, across all tiers of products, comes standard on all Snapdragon chipsets.
The software compatible chipset family will share the same 28nm technology and new, purpose-built CPUs and GPUs for the best mobile performance at the lowest power consumption. The latest Adreno GPUs will also be included in the family, allowing developers to continue to utilize high-performance Adreno graphics capabilities to drive spectacular gaming and user experiences across all device tiers. The Adreno GPU has the largest mobile graphics ecosystems with hundreds of games for Android, Windows Phone 7 Xbox gaming, and PlayStation Certified gaming.
At the high end, the Adreno 320 quad-core GPU will deliver up to 15 times the performance of the original Adreno to drive the latest games and S3D video on larger-screen devices. Adreno 320 delivers similar graphics performance to today’s latest game consoles, but for mobile devices. In addition, the chipset family will support 3D and S3D games, capture and playback of S3D photos and videos, and output in full HD to a 1080P flat panel display over HDMI.
“Just as the original Snapdragon revolutionized smartphones with the first 1GHz processor, these new generations of Snapdragon will revolutionize the next wave of mobile entertainment and computing,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president for Qualcomm. “We believe we have an incredible lineup of chips and software, representing a single platform that OEMs can utilize to create new devices ranging from mass market smartphones with integrated LTE, to tablets, to next generation computing and entertainment devices.”
The single-core MSM8930 is the world’s first single-chip solution with an integrated LTE modem designed to take LTE to mass market smartphones. It will include the new Adreno 305 GPU which delivers more than six times the performance of the original Adreno.
The dual-core MSM8960 is the world’s first dual-core solution with an integrated multi-mode 3G/LTE modem and was designed to meet the requirements of multi-tasking smartphones and tablets. It will include dual asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The MSM8960 will also support dual-channel LP DDR memory and will feature the Adreno 225 GPU which delivers eight times the performance of the original Adreno.
The quad-core APQ8064 will be designed to meet the performance requirements of the next generation of computing and entertainment devices while minimizing power consumption. As with the Snapdragon dual-core, the APQ8064 will include four asynchronous CPU cores which can be independently controlled for maximum efficiency. The Adreno 320 quad-core GPU debuts in the APQ8064 processor where it enables console-quality gaming and renders rich user interfaces.
The APQ8064 will also include a variety of features that make it a compelling processing solution for use in mobile entertainment and computing devices, including support for both PC and LP DDR memory, serial and PCIe interfaces, and multiple USB ports. The APQ8064 will also seamlessly integrate with Qualcomm 3G and LTE MDM™ modems and modules, giving OEMs a flexible and cost-efficient platform that can meet all of their design configuration needs and help reduce time to market.
Samples of the MSM8960 are anticipated to be available in Q2 2011 and samples of the MSM8930 and APQ8064 are anticipated to be available in early 2012.
For more information about the Snapdragon processor’s next-generation CPU architecture, the first quad-core CPU and GPU features, and to see many of the top new devices powered by Snapdragon processors, please visit us during the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2010 (Booth 8B53, Hall 8), Feb. 14-17 in Barcelona or visit www.qualcomm.com/snapdragon.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:
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