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With the soaring popularity of smartphones and tablets, the demand for PCs is on the decline. 2013 was one of the slowest years of PC sales on record and that … Continue reading

If you’re still enjoying that fresh Snapdragon 800 CPU, guess what? Qualcomm’s just trumped it with a new model: the Snapdragon 805 ‘Ultra HD’ quad-core processor. The most headline-grabbing feature is UltraHD video playback on your tablet, smartphone or Smart TV — so you can finally watch that 4K video you recorded. To do that, it’s packing the latest Adreno 420 GPU, which Qualcomm claims has as much as 40 percent more graphics horsepower than previous models. On top of that, the Krait 450 CPU’s four cores will each run at up to 2.5GHz and communicate with memory at 25.6 GB/second max, to make all apps run faster.

The new processor will also come with the 28nm Gobi MDM9x25 modem announced earlier this year, in order to support LTE carrier aggregation (and the resulting higher speeds) and 150Mbps LTE 4. Another option will be a new LTE modem, the 20nm Gobi MDM9x35, which pairs with the WTR3925 chip to bring up to 300Mbps download speeds via LTE advanced. Qualcomm said that both chips support “all carrier aggregation band combinations approved by 3GPP” while enabling manufacturers to bring LTE devices to market faster. Finally, there’s a new mobile camera processor that supports gigapixel throughput and gyro-based image stabilization, for smoother video recording and faster image processing. All of that will come in a package that consumes less power, according to Qualcomm, who added that owning a Snapdragon 805-equipped device will be like “having an UltraHD theater in your pocket.” Don’t sell that Galaxy Note 3 just yet, though — Qualcomm said manufacturer sampling won’t start until next year, meaning actual devices are still a ways off.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD, Mobile

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Source: Qualcomm (1), (2)

Qualcomm‘s outspoken Chief Marketing Officer Anand “Things That Are Dumb” Chandrasekher has been demoted, in a way, after stating that Apple’s 64-bit system-on-a-chip, the A7, is a “gimmick.” He wasn’t fired, just reassigned, but he is no longer listed as being on the leadership team on the Qualcomm website, and the company has publicly censured […]

Recent rumors are suggesting that HTC is working on an updated model of the One smartphone. And just to clarify, we are not talking about the often rumored HTC One Max, but another variant of the HTC One. According to the details, HTC is working on a new model One with an octa-core processor and […]

AMD has long signaled that embedded chips will play a major role in its future, and it’s backing up that claim by providing a glance at its 2014 roadmap. The highlight is Bald Eagle, a 35-watt x86 processor designed for demanding tasks like gaming; it should include up to four Steamroller cores, and it will optionally sport on-chip Graphics Core Next video. Devices that need even more visual power will use Adelaar, a dedicated graphics chipset that includes both GCN and 2GB of built-in memory. It’s reportedly fast enough to be useful for PC video cards, not just the usual set-top boxes and smart TVs.

Two system-on-chip designs are also joining AMD’s lineup. Hierofalcon is built with data centers in mind, and carries up to eight ARM Cortex-A57 cores; Steppe Eagle, meanwhile, is a combination of upgraded Jaguar x86 cores and GCN that should speed up AMD’s low-power G-series processors. With the exception of Hierofalcon, all of the new embedded chips should be available in the first half of next year. AMD hasn’t named any early customers, but its embedded silicon tends to reach products that you’d recognize. Check out the roadmap after the break.

Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, AMD

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Source: AMD