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Future Windows 8.1 tablets to tap Qualcomm chip

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 silicon is expected to power upcoming Windows RT tablets.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
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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."

Meet the Snapdragon 800: Bound for Windows 8.1 RT tablets

  • Quad-core: Supports up to four cores, 2.2GHz per core.
  • USB 3.0: USB 3.0 is coming to more RT devices.
  • 4G/LTE: 3G/4G/LTE is integrated, Qualcomm's strength is integration of 3G/4G into its silicon.
  • Very-high-resolution displays: Supports up to 2,560x2,048 resolution.

And Microsoft seems keen on the silicon.

"We are excited [about]...the next iteration of Windows RT 8.1 [and] their new Snapdragon 800 processors," Mike Anguilo, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, said in a statement.

His statement also mentions the "numerous advantages of these new processors" including integrated 4G/LTE.

Snapdragon 800 features.
Snapdragon 800 features. Snapdragon 800 features.