Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)

While we already know that Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 will offer a quad-core variant, incorporate LTE and use a 28nm manufacturing process, the company posted an article to its media blog ahead of Mobile World Congress showcasing the new features provided by the chipset's Image Signal Processor. You're likely familiar with some of the imaging functionality available in Qualcomm's existing Snapdragon processors -- technology like Scalado's Rewind (pictured above) which we've covered before. The new SoC cranks things up a notch with support for up to three cameras (two in the back for 3D plus one front-facing), 20-megapixel sensors and 1080p HD video recording at 30fps. In addition to zero shutter lag, the Snapdragon S4 includes proprietary 3A processing (autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance) along with improved blink / smile detection, gaze estimation, range finding and image stabilization. Rounding things off are gesture detection / control, augmented reality and computer vision (via Quacomm's FastCV). Want to know more? Check out the source link below, then hit the break for video demos of the S4's image stabilization and gesture-based imaging chops.Continue reading Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video)Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 flexes its imaging muscle (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Qualcomm  | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm outs Snapdragon S4 SoC details, promises improved battery life and true world capability

Qualcomm has laid out its details of the upcoming S4 SoC, and yes, there's definitely reason for excitement with this next generation Snapdragon. First, it'll usher in a new 28nm manufacturing process alongside the company's Krait CPU and Adreno 225 GPU. The move from 45nm to 28nm promises smaller components, lower power consumption and improved thermal performance, while Krait will introduce a new pipeline architecture that promises a full 60% boost over the current Scorpion lineup with clock speeds ranging between 1.5 and 2.5GHz -- along with support for asynchronous multiprocessing and dual-channel memory. As for the GPU, the latest chip flaunts 50% greater performance over the current Adreno 220, where it also provides support for DirectX 9.3 for Windows 8, in addition to OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0. Should be quite the gaming experience, eh?

It doesn't end there, as the S4 MSM8960 promises multi-mode world capabilities with support for all the commonly used frequencies from 700 to 2600MHz -- quite a feat, indeed. It handles Cat. 3 LTE (up to 100Mbps) and Cat. 24 HSPA+ (up to 42Mbps), along with EV-DO Rev. B, 1x Advanced and TD-SCDMA, as well as GSM, GPRS and EDGE. Oh, and there's also simultaneous support for GPS and GLONASS, along with Bluetooth, WiFi, FM radio and NFC. With samples already being sent to manufacturers, we're quite excited for what 2012 may bring.Qualcomm outs Snapdragon S4 SoC details, promises improved battery life and true world capability originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink MobileBurn, Phone Scoop  |  Qualcomm  | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm Atheros flaunts 802.11ac WiFi module for Snapdragon S4

The 802.11ac WiFi standard may sound like an alphabetical step backwards, but for high-bandwidth tasks like 1080p streaming it promises to wipe the face off 802.11n. Qualcomm Atheros wants its share of the billion unit pie and has just launched a series of products to flesh out its 802.11ac ecosystem. Top billing goes to the WCN3680 WiFi/BlueTooth/FM combo module, which plugs into the new Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960) and offers speeds of up to 433Mbps to complement that blistering CPU performance. Since the S4 already includes built-in b/g/n WiFi (not to mention its 3G/4G/LTE baseband), manufacturers who choose to add the 802.11ac component will achieve full WiFi cross-compatibility and make many consumers happy in the process. Meanwhile, you'll also find similar multilingual abilities in QA's other 5G WiFi modules for PCs, laptops, routers and enterprise, which are all detailed in the PR after the break. Rest assured that we'll bring you more hands-on impressions of the latest Snapdragon just as soon as things kick off at MWC -- and hopefully in the form of a finished, market-ready tablet or handset.Continue reading Qualcomm Atheros flaunts 802.11ac WiFi module for Snapdragon S4Qualcomm Atheros flaunts 802.11ac WiFi module for Snapdragon S4 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm: all new Windows Phone 8 devices to be powered by Snapdragon S4 Plus for now

The puzzle pieces are already falling into place, one at a time. After announcing Qualcomm as the exclusive chipset provider for upcoming Windows Phone 8 handsets, we didn't get any word on which models would be used. Fortunately, Qualcomm reps have confirmed to us that all new devices will feature the MSM8960 dual-core Krait (Snapdragon S4 Plus) processor for now. As a sidenote, the company told us that other chipsets may be used at a later time, but Microsoft certainly appears eager to keep to its mantra of a universal experience amongst its phones.Qualcomm: all new Windows Phone 8 devices to be powered by Snapdragon S4 Plus for now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm ships dual-mode Gobi3000 WWAN chip, intros LTE / HSPA+ chipsets galore

Qualcomm just refined the term "blowout" here at Mobile World Congress. It's obviously a critical show for the wireless supplier, and while the 2.5GHz Snapdragon CPU is the undisputed highlight, there's quite a bit of chipset action worth paying attention to if you'd prefer that your next handset / mobile hotspot be capable of handling the world's most advanced network technologies. First off, there's the Gobi3000 modules, which Qualcomm just announced were shipping en masse. Compared to the Gobi2000 that has been infiltrating laptops and MiFi devices for the past year, this one doubles the HSPA downlink speed and enhances the Gobi common application programming interface (API) functionality for enterprise applications. The design supports single-mode (UMTS) and multi-mode designs (CDMA / UMTS), and should be popping up soon in devices from Huawei, Novatel Wireless, Option, Sierra Wireless and ZTE.

Next up are the MDM9625 and MDM9225 chipsets, which are designed to support LTE data rates as high as 150Mbps within mobile broadband devices. These guys are fabricated using the 28nm technology node, and are backwards compatible with previous generations of LTE and other wireless broadband standards, giving consumers using USB modems powered by the MDM9625 or MDM9225 chipsets an uninterrupted broadband data connection on nearly any network around the world. These are being launched alongside the MDM9615 and MDM8215, which are similar chips designed to support multi-mode LTE and dual-carrier HSPA+, respectively. As for the MDM8225? That's being released today to support HSPA+ Release 9 (the latest version, obviously), which will support 84Mbps on the downslope (not to mention dual-carrier HSUPA operation) and should fit into at least a couple of T-Mobile USA devices by 2012. Finally, Qualcomm has nailed down a deal that'll enable all future Snapdragon-powered Android devices to "have access to instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix." Just sounds like a pre-loaded installation to us, but hey, we'll take all the optimization we can get when it comes to streaming video on the mobile.Qualcomm ships dual-mode Gobi3000 WWAN chip, intros LTE / HSPA+ chipsets galore originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Qualcomm (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)  | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm shows off Windows 8 running on an LTE-equipped Snapdragon

AT&T was getting all hot and heavy over LTE-equipped Windows 8 tablets at its developers summit and an afternoon session about a Qualcomm powered model had certainly piqued our interest. What wasn't clear was whether such a piece of hardware actually existed, but we're happy to report it does. Dr. Paul Jacobs pulled out a Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 slate during his keynote running Microsoft's next-gen tile-based OS and the requisite 4G connection -- on AT&T's network, of course.

Jacobs treated attendees to a very brief demo of the tab, showcasing the browser, UI and Windows 8 apps. He went on to note that the in development slates run on ARM processors and won't need fans to cool down. Aside from that, not much else was revealed, so feel free to check out the official presser after the break.Continue reading Qualcomm shows off Windows 8 running on an LTE-equipped SnapdragonQualcomm shows off Windows 8 running on an LTE-equipped Snapdragon originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm's MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 benchmarks pop up online

We put Qualcomm's S4 development platform through its paces (twice, no less) at CES, but shorn of the glitz of Las Vegas, does it have the oomph to wow us? Someone at the company loosed Nenamark 2 on the slate, producing a score of 54.90. Given the fact that its producing graphics for a 1024 x 600 screen, we're excited to see it comfortably edge the Galaxy S II Skyrocket (54.1) and Galaxy Note (32.8) -- with our mouths watering at the thought of what this 28nm CPU can do in a smartphone. We've included the benchmark in full after the break, if you're ready for such exciting revelations.Continue reading Qualcomm's MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 benchmarks pop up onlineQualcomm's MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 benchmarks pop up online originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Phonearena  |  Nena  | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCs

Sure Qualcomm has snagged quite the coup by sliding some of its dual-core S4 CPUs into the US-bound Galaxy S IIIs, but it's not stopping there. The company just revealed versions of these chips will power connected HDTVs and set-top boxes as well as PCs and Windows 8 (including Windows Phone 8) devices. There's four tiers of the upcoming processors: Prime, Pro, Plus and Play. S4 Prime is the smart TV platform that includes the MPQ8064 1.5GHz quad-core CPU with Adreno 320 graphics, while S4 Pro processors are ready to be the brains of Windows RT tablets, laptops and tablet / laptop combos. S4 Plus is the high-end smartphone experience we've come to associate with the Snapdragon brand, and finally S4 Play for more entry level mobile devices. Check after the break for more info on the chips in each family and details on what they can do, and our hands on with some S4 powered Windows 8 devices right here.Continue reading Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCsQualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU family expands past phones to HDTVs, tablets and Windows 8 PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Qualcomm and Ericsson demo VoLTE to 3G switch without dropping call

Qualcomm and Ericsson have completed the first VoLTE handover of a voice call from an LTE network to a WCDMA one, paving the way for high-speed smartphones that can handle voice as well as data. The proof-of-concept took place in late December, using a Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 3G/LTE based device on an Ericsson network, seamlessly transitioning [...]

Qualcomm next-gen Snapdragon MSM8960 detailed: LTE, CPU & GPU boost, more

Qualcomm has outed the first in its next-generation Snapdragon family, the MSM8960, a dual-core chipset with around 5x the performance of the original Snapdragon, 4x the graphics performance, and an integrated multi-mode modem supporting both 3G and 3G LTE. Expected to being sampling in 2011, the MSM8960 will be built on 28nm processes, and use [...]