snapdragon

Samsung Galaxy S4 variant to get Snapdragon 800?

Samsung is planning to launch a Galaxy S4 variant with Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 800 processor, according to a new report.

A user manual for a new Samsung device, known as the SHV-E330S (PDF), shows a spec sheet that includes mention of a CPU called the MSM8974. That product ID is the code name Qualcomm uses for its Snapdragon 800 processor.

The manual was originally spotted by RBmen and was posted again by Engadget.

The Snapdragon 800 processor has been making chip fanatics swoon since its announcement earlier this year. The system-on-a-chip (SoC) is capable of delivering vastly … Read more

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 incinerates the competition

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 will destroy your mobile processor. Not literally, of course. I'm strictly referring to its ability to render real-time graphics so fast as to make your current mobile processor -- on your phone or tablet -- embarrassingly pokey in comparison.

At a benchmarking event in San Francisco, Qualcomm allowed me and others in attendance to run a benchmarks on a reference Mobile Development Platform (MDP) tablet housing its latest Snapdragon 800 system-on-chip (SoC). The results speak for themselves; however, I should warn that these are only benchmark results (3DMark and GFXBench, specifically) and don't necessarily … Read more

LG phone to sport always-on voice commands in 2014 -- report

LG is hard at work on a new smartphone that will allow for always-on voice commands, a new report claims.

The handset, which will launch in 2014, will allow users to speak commands without needing to touch the screen first, Gotta Be Mobile is reporting on Tuesday, citing three people who claim to have knowledge of LG's plans.The technology will also allow for a broader range of commands than those available now.

Although Gotta Be Mobile cites LG's plans, it's highly likely that it won't be alone in launching a device next year that features … Read more

Future Windows 8.1 tablets to tap Qualcomm chip

The next round of Windows 8.1 RT tablets will be supported by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800, the chipmaker announced Monday.

Could it be destined for a future Surface tablet? That's not clear yet but Qualcomm hints at future RT products with its silicon.

"Qualcomm continues to build on its relationship with Microsoft by helping to launch and optimize the newest build of Windows for Snapdragon, Windows 8.1 RT," the chip supplier said.

The statement continued. "The next processor to be featured in upcoming Windows 8.1 RT computers will be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.&… Read more

GS4 quad-core or 8-core? Samsung chief says it doesn't matter

U.S. customers won't be getting their hands on a Galaxy S4 powered by an eight-core processor, but the head of Samsung Electronics says it shouldn't matter to buyers.

Some models of Samsung's flagship smartphone, available globally in the coming weeks, will feature a quad-core processor from Qualcomm while others will feature Samsung's Exynos 5 chip with eight cores. The U.S. version will use the 1.9GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series chip.

Some in the tech press have criticized the lack of an eight-core chip in the U.S., but J.K. Shin, co-CEO of … Read more

Inside the Galaxy S4: Samsung doing dueling silicon again?

If the Samsung Galaxy S4 follows in the same path as the S3, we should see two variants of the Android phone with different internals.

Like the S3, the international version of the S4 will likely carry Samsung silicon, while an LTE version in the U.S. opts for a Qualcomm processor.

While we won't know until Thursday what's inside precisely (and we may initially only know the precise specs of the international version), there are two candidates based on reports, including one from J.P. Morgan.

Whatever the case, there's no doubt the S4's high-resolution … Read more

Qualcomm debuts chips with 75 percent better performance

LAS VEGAS--Qualcomm, the company that supplies processors for the majority of the world's cell phones, on Monday unveiled two new families of mobile chips with performance up to 75 percent better than their predecessors.

The Snapdragon 600 and 800 series processors are geared at premium mobile and computing devices. Importantly, the highest-end chips, the 800 series, include Qualcomm's newest 4G LTE technology that offers speeds up to 150 Mbps. That's a sharp increase from the prior-generation's data rate of up to 35 Mbps.

Both new processor lines also include the newest generation of mobile Wi-Fi connectivity, … Read more

Beyond quad-core: What's next for mobile processing power

Remember when a quad-core processor was the ultimate indicator of a super-smartphone? Well its 15 minutes are almost up.

Just as the current run of super-smartphones are destined for the bargain bin in a few months, so too will the novelty and obsession with the number of cores powering a phone begin to fade. Sure, smartphones with the latest quad-core chips still rule now, but companies are already preparing to change the conversation.

In its place, expect chip companies, handset manufacturers, and wireless carriers to shift their marketing away from an emphasis cores and more toward tangible benefits such as … Read more

Qualcomm adds two quad-core chipsets to Snapdragon S4 line

Qualcomm has added two new chipsets to its popular Snapdragon S4 processor family.

Dubbed the MSM8226 and MSM8626, the chipsets offer quad-core processing and use the 28nm technology node. The chipsets include the Adreno 305 graphics processing unit, allowing for 1080p video capture and playback and up to a 13-megapixel camera. According to Qualcomm, the chipsets will allow for long battery life, though the company didn't put a number on that.

Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon processor is becoming increasingly popular in mobile devices. The company's previous chipsets have also been popular. According to Qualcomm, there have been about … Read more