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Tag: Qualcomm

  • Snapdragon S4 Pro Announced By Qualcomm

    Snapdragon S4 Pro Announced By Qualcomm

    Qualcomm has made a name for themselves by making great mobile processors that power phones and tablets. Their new processor is already looking really good.

    Qualcomm announced today that they’re working on the Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. Qualcomm already released the Snapdragon S4 back in October of last year, so why a new release so soon? New improvements that make the S4 even better, that’s why.

    The big change is that the S4 Pro has the Adreno 320 GPU which better supports high resolution displays and is still compatible with hardware and software that used the S4. The Adreno 320 GPU is four times more powerful than the previous GPU on the regular S4. This allows it to provide new multimedia uses such as a computational camera.

    For gaming, the Adreno 320 is ideal as it includes dedicated hardware to accelerate Windows and supports game engines like Unity and Epic’s Unreal Engine 3.

    “As a result of strong customer demand for Snapdragon S4 processors, we’ve added a new Pro version of MSM8960 to continue delivering the highest performing mobile processors in the industry,” said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm. “By delivering the S4 Pro processor in 2012, we are fulfilling our promise that Snapdragon processors will remain the industry’s barometer for excellence in mobile computing while helping our customers bring the most innovative smartphones and tablets to market.”

    It appears that the S4 Pro is being prepared for the impending release of Windows 8. It was also designed for other advanced operating systems so we can expect it to be powering Android 4.0 in the near future.

    “Snapdragon S4 and S4 Pro are designed to enable tablets and notebook devices to deliver the high performance, flexibility, global 3G/4G connectivity and energy efficiency consumers are increasingly demanding,” said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of computing and consumer products, Qualcomm. “We are excited about the Snapdragon S4 Pro processors’ potential for consumers, and about the upcoming Windows 8 platform.”

    So when will users begin to see the S4 Pro in their mobile devices? Qualcomm is pegging a release for the second half of 2012.

    I’m more excited about that GPU and its implications for mobile gaming, but what say you? Are you excited for a new processor? Or do you think Qualcomm needs to slow down its releases and give its already existing hardware a chance to shine before replacing it? Let us know in the comments.

  • Windows and Intel Stay Stubborn

    Windows and Intel Stay Stubborn

    Apparently the soon to be arriving Windows 8 based Tablets are going to cost an arm and a leg for consumers. The steep cost is reportedly due to an inability for either Intel or Microsoft to flex on prices. A properly equipped tablet (Windows 8 & Intel Clover Trail-W) will cost between six and nine hundred dollars. This is roughly one hundred dollars more than the Apple iPad 3 (due to be released in March).

    Consumers and manufacturers alike will be hurt by the two companies stubbornness. According to a report by DigiTimes, vendors will be likely to choose ARM solutions from Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm to reduce overall costs in their forthcoming tablets. It appears Intel is pricing themselves out of the game.

    Further supporting evidence that Intel is unwilling to compromise comes from makers of the new Ultrabook (a MacBook knockoff). Reports from these manufacturers say they are also unable to persuade a price break from Intel in order to make their products more affordable.

  • Qualcomm To Bring Netflix Streaming To New Android Devices

    Qualcomm To Bring Netflix Streaming To New Android Devices

    Wireless company Qualcomm said today that new Android devices using its Snapdragon platform will have access to instant streaming of TV shows and movies from Netflix.

    “We’re excited about this collaborative effort to help bring the Netflix application to Android devices running on the Snapdragon platform,” said Liat Ben-Zur, senior director of software strategy and ecosystems for Qualcomm.

    Netflix_4C_White_Logo “Qualcomm is in a unique position to help bring the most optimized and advanced Android apps to market through working closely with the strong ecosystem of Snapdragon developers like Netflix.”

     Netflix had delayed expanding to Android due to secuirty concerns but Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors offer better protection. In addition. Netflix video decoding is handled by highly efficient dedicated hardware, extending battery life and improving picture quality, the company said.

    “We’re pleased to expand our mobile offering by providing our members an app for TV shows and movies streaming from Netflix to Snapdragon-enabled Android devices,” said Bill Holmes, Netflix vice president of Business Development.

    “Qualcomm’s expertise in mobile hardware/software integration and their collaboration in the consumer electronics space makes them the perfect fit in bringing Netflix to a range of Android handsets and tablets.”