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Tag: Snapdragon

  • Samsung’s Exynos Chip Lags Hopelessly Behind Apple’s A-Series

    Samsung’s Exynos Chip Lags Hopelessly Behind Apple’s A-Series

    Samsung’s Exynos chip was lauded as one of the best chances for the Android world to challenge Apple’s performance on smartphones…but that hasn’t happened.

    Apple has long held the performance crown in the smartphone market. While all of the major smartphone makers rely on Arm-based chips, Apple’s long history of semiconductor design has paid dividends, allowing it to dominate performance benchmarks, and real-world performance.

    Samsung’s Exynos 2200, which is one of the options in the company’s flagship Galaxy S22, was thought to be one of the best chances of dethroning Apple, or at least giving it a run for its money. Unlike Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, the Exynos 2200 chip is Samsung’s own design, giving it the ability to control “the whole widget,” much like Apple does.

    Unfortunately, the Exynos 2200 simply doesn’t deliver the goods, according to MacWorld and its sister site, Tech Advisor. In benchmark after benchmark, the Exynos 2200 was only able to seriously challenge the iPhone 11, with its outdated A13 processor. Compared to the more recent A14 and A15, the Exynos 2200 doesn’t even come close.

    Ultimately, with the poor showing of Samsung’s home-grown chip, it seems Google’s Tensor line of chips, may be the best chance of eventually challenging Apple.

  • Qualcomm Demonstrates mmWave 5G 16x Faster Than Sub-6 GHz

    Qualcomm Demonstrates mmWave 5G 16x Faster Than Sub-6 GHz

    Qualcomm has announced a major milestone for 5G, demonstrating how fast mmWave 5G is compared with slower varieties.

    There are several flavors of 5G being rolled out. All three major carriers in the US have rolled out nationwide 5G networks, using low-band spectrum. Low-band provides the best range, coverage and building penetration, but is only marginally faster than 4G LTE. Mid-band spectrum provides a good mix of speed, range and coverage, and can deliver speed in excess of 1 Gbps.

    The fastest flavor of 5G is mmWave. Unlike low and mid-band, mmWave uses spectrum in the 6 GHz and above range. It is also the fastest flavor of 5G, clocking in at several gigabits per second. Unfortunately, because mmWave uses high-band spectrum, its range and penetration are extremely limited. Nonetheless, its speed makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, such as secure private networks, and carriers are racing to roll out it.

    Qualcomm has announced real-world tests showing mmWave 5G is up to 16 times faster than 5G in the sub-6 GHz frequencies, such as low and mid-band. The data was based on user-initiated Ookla Speedtests on commercial devices.

    “Our end-to-end modem to antenna solution brings together all the key 5G breakthroughs to optimize 5G connectivity using the massive bandwidth of mmWave,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With almost every major OEM offering 5G commercial devices globally, we’re playing a critical role in enabling 5G to live up to its promise of speed and power. This not only redefines the smartphone experience, but also paves the road for endless possibilities, including the further expansion of 5G into fixed wireless access, 5G private networks, compute, XR, and Industrial IoT.”

  • Qualcomm Taking on Nintendo Switch With Android Device

    Qualcomm is looking to enter the consumer market with an Android-powered Nintendo Switch-like device.

    Qualcomm is primarily known for creating semiconductors and modems, products that are used by smartphone makers around the world. As such, the company’s products power some of the most popular devices in the world, but the company has yet to venture into consumer territory.

    According to Android Police, that’s about to change, with the company preparing to unveil a Nintendo Switch knockoff, running Android. Since the device will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, it will help the company showcase its processors outside of traditional phones.

    Android Police says the device’s form factor will specifically allow Qualcomm to show off Snapdragon’s performance.

    The device, which we were able to view non-final images of but cannot share, is immediately familiar to anyone who owns a Switch. Detachable “joycon” style controllers are on the left and right sides of the core console, which resembles a thicker, bulkier smartphone. There’s a good reason for that: the company believes that the added thermal headroom a thicker design affords will make its processor run faster and significantly more efficiently than a modern ultra-thin smartphone. Qualcomm is also using that space to pack in a large 6000mAh battery that will be equipped with its Quick Charge technology. According to our source, Qualcomm is using a premium supplier in the controller space to design and manufacture the gamepads, though we were unable to verify the name of that supplier.

    Qualcomm’s Snapdragon consistently plays second fiddle to Apple’s custom silicon, in terms of performance, although both are based on Arm designs. Showcasing the Snapdragon in a form factor that will allow it to achieve its full potential could be a good move for Qualcomm.

  • Qualcomm Struggles to Meet Android Demand Amid Semiconductor Shortage

    Qualcomm Struggles to Meet Android Demand Amid Semiconductor Shortage

    Qualcomm is the latest to be impacted by the global semiconductor shortage, as the company struggles to meet Android chip demand.

    Android devices run on Arm-based chips, much like Apple’s iPhone and iPad. Qualcomm is one of the leading manufactures of Arm-based chips, with their Snapdragon line widely used across the Android ecosystem.

    The semiconductor shortage has already began impacting various industries, with companies as large as GM being forced to halt production as a result. Now the shortage appears to be impacting Qualcomm as well, according to AppleInsider.

    Another factor impacting demand is Huawei being crippled by sanctions and bans, opening the door for other Android manufacturers to fill the void. Whereas Huawei designed its own chips, like Apple and Samsung, most other Android manufacturers rely on a third-party, such as Qualcomm.

    It remains to be seen when the shortage will let up, but it has become a top priority for the current administration.

  • Qualcomm Taps Sophos to Protect 5G Snapdragon PCs

    Qualcomm Taps Sophos to Protect 5G Snapdragon PCs

    Qualcomm is turning to Sophos to help protect 5G-enabled Snapdragon PCs, with its Intercept X endpoint protection.

    With the speeds 5G promises, 5G-enabled PCs stand to play a major role in the industry. A PC with built-in 5G would have enterprise-grade internet access, allowing individuals to work from anywhere they have coverage. In the age of the pandemic, this could open a world of possibilities, and remove slow internet access as one of the biggest challenges to remote work.

    Unlike Intel or AMD processors, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon is based on Arm designs, much like the chips Apple uses in the iPhone, iPad and M1 Macs. As a result, traditional PC software won’t run on the Snapdragon unless it’s compiled specifically for Arm-based processors. This leaves Snapdragon-powered PCs potentially vulnerable, as many of the traditional security options are not available.

    Snapdragon compute platforms mark a major step forward because they provide all the utility and performance of a PC, but with many of the benefits associated with modern mobile computing devices. Security loves predictability, and Sophos is excited to be a part of securing this next-generation computing platform. — Joe Levy, chief technology officer, Sophos.

    Qualcomm’s deal with Snapdragon is a major step toward helping Arm-based computers go mainstream.

  • Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm has announced it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series line of chips.

    While many 5G phones have been announced, the vast majority of them are high-end models, such as the iPhone. As with any new technology, it is easier to roll it out at the top-end of the market first, using the purchases to help offset the cost of the new tech. As the technology matures, however, it inevitably becomes cheaper.

    Qualcomm’s latest announcement is a big step in that direction, as it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series chips, used primarily in low-cost devices. Motorola, Oppos and Xiaomi have all committed to using the chip in upcoming phones.

    “Qualcomm continues to pave the way for 5G commercialization at scale, and the expansion of 5G into our Snapdragon 4-series is expected to address regions that currently have approximately 3.5 billion smartphone users combined,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform is designed to exceed expectations for the mass-market segment by bringing an assortment of predominately high- and mid-tier features to a broader audience. It will deliver on the promise of making 5G accessible to all smartphone users.”

  • Qualcomm Doubles Range of mmWave 5G to 2.36 Miles

    Qualcomm Doubles Range of mmWave 5G to 2.36 Miles

    Qualcomm and Ericsson have successfully doubled the range of mmWave 5G, completing a phone call over data 2.36 miles away.

    mmWave is the fastest variety of 5G available, with speeds measured in gigabits. Its Achilles heel, however, has been its poor range and building penetration. In most applications, it requires base stations and repeaters to be placed every couple of hundred yards in order to provide stable coverage.

    Qualcomm’s latest test, however, has extended that range, specifically in the context of fixed wireless access (FWA). Because of its speed and low latency, 5G shows promise as a broadband replacement in areas where it would be cost prohibitive to run fiber. FWA equipment can have far more powerful antennas and radios than the average smartphone, helping to extend mmWave’s range.

    “With the introduction of the Qualcomm QTM527 mmWave antenna module as part of the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System, we are empowering operators and OEMs to offer high-performance, extended-range multi-gigabit 5G broadband to their customers – which is both flexible and cost-effective, as they can leverage existing 5G network infrastructure,” said Gautam Sheoran, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “With this major milestone being the first step in utilizing mmWave for an extended-range 5G data transfer, our collaboration with Casa Systems and Ericsson is paving the way to implement fixed broadband services for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments.”

    This is a big step forward for Qualcomm and the 5G industry in general, and should help further its adoption.

  • Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    While Apple may be looking to end their dependence on Qualcomm, the future is looking bright for the semiconductor company. In a press release issued today, Qualcomm announced that Netgear, LG, Sharp and Samsung are among 30+ companies building plug-and-play home internet gear based on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

    According to the FCC, some 19 million Americans still lack access to broadband. One of the most anticipated benefits of 5G deployment is the ability to offer broadband-class home internet wirelessly, otherwise known as fixed wireless access.

    5G home broadband holds the promise of gigabit-per-second speeds, far greater than the speed of current 4G technology, as well as many traditional broadband providers. The wireless tech is also a boon for established neighborhoods, since it doesn’t require excavation of roads and yards to lay fiber optic lines.

    “Our comprehensive Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System architecture, which supports virtually any combination of 5G spectrum bands and modes, from sub-6 to extended-range mmWave, will empower global mobile carriers and OEMs to offer best-in-class 5G performance to homes and businesses, including those in previously underserved areas,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The widespread adoption of our modem-to-antenna solution translates into enhanced fixed broadband services and additional opportunities to utilize 5G network infrastructure for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments. Due to the development ease of our integrated system and industry movement toward self-installed, plug-and-play CPE devices, we expect OEMs will be able to support fixed broadband deployments beginning in 2020.”