1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon With HSPA+ Launched
Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor is well known to most who follow the smartphone space, and at Computex 2010 the company has outed their latest generation of chip. The Qualcomm MSM8260 and MSM8660 Snapdragon chips each get dual-core 1.2GHz application processor cores, support for 1080p HD video encode and decode, and 3D/2D engines for Open GLES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1 acceleration. Best of all, they're already sampling to manufacturers.
Each version of the new Snapdragon has its own integrated cellular connectivity: HSPA+ in the MSM8260 and multi-mode HSPA+/CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B in the MSM8660. There's also a dedicated low power audio engine, integrated low power GPS, and support for 24-bit WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution displays.
As for timescales as to when we can expect to see the first third-gen 1.2GHz Snapdragon powered devices, Qualcomm aren't exactly saying; the company reckons manufacturers have reference designs already prepared, which suggests we'll be seeing handsets hitting the market before 2010 is out. There's also talk of a second third-generation Snapdragon, this time running at 1.5GHz, which will make its debut soon. That's likely to be the same chip that Qualcomm tipped back in January, and also said to expect sometime before 2010 is out.
Press Release:
Third-generation Snapdragon Solutions Feature Two Application Processor Cores Running up to 1.2 GHz to Enable Advanced SmartphonesTAIPEI, Taiwan – June 01, 2010 – Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of wireless technologies, products and services, today announced the Company has sampled its first dual-CPU Snapdragon™ chipsets. The Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) MSM8260™ and MSM8660™ solutions integrate two of the Company's enhanced cores running at up to 1.2GHz. Targeted at enabling high-end smartphones, the MSM8x60 solutions are third-generation chipsets from the Company's expanded Snapdragon platform, which has been powering smartphones, tablets and smartbook devices in markets around the world.
"Qualcomm's first-generation Snapdragon chipsets set a new standard for advanced smartphones and smartbook devices, and our second-generation solutions are already shipping in volume," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are very excited by the innovation our customers are already showing as they begin designing products based on our dual-core MSM8260 and MSM8660 chipsets."
The MSM8260 for HSPA+ and MSM8660 for multi-mode HSPA+/CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO Rev. B feature two enhanced CPU cores running at up to 1.2GHz for high levels of Web application and multimedia performance, including a powerful GPU with 3D/2D acceleration engines for Open GLES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1 accelration, 1080p video encode/decode, dedicated low power audio engine, integrated low power GPS, and support for 24-bit WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution displays.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon family of chipset solutions includes:
• First-generation products: QSD8x50™ with 1GHz enhanced core
• Second-generation products: MSM8x55™ and QSD8x50A™ with 1GHz enhanced core, including multimedia optimizations and 1.3GHz enhanced core, respectively
• Third-generation products: MSM8260, MSM8660 and QSD8672 with dual-CPU architecture featuring enhanced cores running at up to 1.2GHz and 1.5GHz, respectively