qualcomm
Latest
Google buys $4.5 billion stake in India's biggest mobile network
Google has paid $4.5 billion for a 7.7 percent share of Jio, India's biggest mobile network.
Podcast: Thunderbolt 4, Snapdragon 865 Plus and Facebook's latest mess
This week on the Engadget Podcast, we chat about Intel's Thunderbolt 4 standard, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus chips for gaming devices and Facebook's latest series of fails.
The Snapdragon 865 Plus will power ASUS and Lenovo gaming devices
The Snapdragon 865 Plus is a follow-up to the Snapdragon 865 launched late last year, and, like each iteration before it, promises better performance and battery life.
What to expect from the next version of 5G
5G coverage may still be sparse, and the world is still trying to understand how it works or affects us, but the people that define networking standards won’t stop working on it. One of the many companies that contributes ideas and technologies that eventually get adopted into 5G protocols is Qualcomm, and it also published blog posts today about Rel-16. Of course, Qualcomm wants you to know all about its inventions that have been adopted and will be used by the telecomms industry, but this information does help us to understand how the upcoming changes will work.
Qualcomm's latest smartwatch chips support 16-megapixel cameras
It’s been almost two years since Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, and in that time there haven’t been many exciting developments in smartwatches, Google bought Fitbit, though that union is yet to be complete. Despite the lack of excitement, Qualcomm is continuing to invest in the smartwatch industry, unveiling today a pair of processors for wrist-worn devices. Compared to the Snapdragon Wear 3100, Qualcomm’s global business head for smart wearables and shareables Pankaj Kedia said the 4100+ will bring about 85 percent higher performance.
Qualcomm's 5G RB5 robotics platform will help drones navigate tight spaces
Qualcomm is working on AI computing much like rival chip makers Intel and NVIDIA, but it’s sticking to what it does best: smaller devices and connectivity. It just unveiled the RB5 AI-enabled 5G robotics platform, a follow-up to the RB3 chipset, designed to be used in a wide array of robotic and drone products.
Qualcomm's 6GHz WiFi tech helps with crowded wireless networks
Qualcomm has unveiled a slew of 6GHz WiFi parts that could improve the performance and reliability of your wireless network.
Qualcomm's latest mobile gaming chip packs faster graphics and global 5G
Qualcomm has introduced a Snapdragon 768G chip that promises faster gaming performance and worldwide 5G.
LG confirms specs of its flagship Velvet phone ahead of launch
LG has released official Velvet specs ahead of the phone's launch next week.
Qualcomm’s latest Bluetooth chips could bring ANC to lower-cost earbuds
Today, Qualcomm unveiled its next-generation of ultra-low-power Bluetooth Systems on a Chip (SoCs). The SoCs are designed for true wireless earbuds and hearables, and they could make top-end features, like active noise cancellation (ANC) and voice assistant support, more universal.
Qualcomm reveals a reference headset to show off its XR2 chip
Qualcomm unveiled its XR2 platform at the end of last year, and chipheads were pretty impressed with how much power the company had packed into its newest slice of silicon. Its XR (extended reality) platform features 5G (a first, according to Qualcomm) and 8K 360-degree video playback, as well as a host of other features that double the CPU and GPU performance of its predecessors. Now, the company has revealed a reference design that demonstrates how the chipset will actually work in a headset.
Qualcomm promises 5G 'with fewer hurdles' on its latest modem
Qualcomm's an industry leader when it comes to making 5G modems for mobile devices, and so far, its offerings have been in the most prominent smartphones. Following the Snapdragon X50 and X55, Qualcomm is launching the Snapdragon X60, which it says is the world's first 5-nanometer 5G baseband, as well as the first to offer millimeter wave-sub-6 aggregation. The company promises that the X60 will help networks lift 5G peak speeds based on the available spectrum, and that it will enable operators to increase capacity and coverage.
Rumor suggests Apple's 5G iPhone could rely on a custom antenna
For years, leaks and rumors have targeted 2020 for the arrival of Apple's first iPhone with 5G capabilities. Now we're in the year, and carriers are starting to roll out networks with the high-bandwidth connections. Samsung already revealed that its Galaxy S20 series will offer 5G support across the line, although only the super-sized Ultra model will support both sub-6 and mmWave connections. Now Fast Company reports that as Apple continues to lock down plans for its 2020 iPhone models, the company is still choosing between two designs for a 5G version.
EU investigates Qualcomm for alleged anti-competitive tactics
Qualcomm is facing yet another European Union antitrust case. The wireless hardware giant has revealed in an SEC filing that the European Commission is investigating the company for possible anti-competitive tactics in the radio frequency chip space. Officials want to know if Qualcomm abused its influence in 5G baseband processors to push companies into using its radio frequency front end chips instead of third-party options like Broadcom or Skyworks.
Qualcomm's new mobile chipsets pack more features for the non-5G crowd
2020 is the year 5G will start making a difference for people, but 4G LTE networks aren't going anywhere. If anything, they'll remain the de facto means of connection for much of the world for years, so it's little surprise to see Qualcomm rolling out a trio of modern, 4G-focused smartphone processors.
Podcast: What Qualcomm's new chips tell us about next year's gadgets
Another year, another round of Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the Snapdragon 865 and 765 to see what they tell us about next year's devices. They're faster than before, of course, but they'll also come with a slew of useful new features for smartphones, tablets and even laptops. Of course, they're also built with 5G support in mind -- though not in the way you'd expect.
Qualcomm teams up with 'Pokémon Go' developer to make AR glasses
Qualcomm didn't only reveal its new and more powerful chip for extended reality headsets at the Snapdragon Tech Summit, it also announced its partnership with Niantic. The chipmaker and the Pokémon Go creator have teamed up to create reference hardware, software and cloud components for augmented reality glasses. It's a multi-year collaboration meant to accelerate the development of AR software and hardware, though it remains to be seen how long you'll have to wait to enjoy the results of their partnership.
Qualcomm pushes for cheaper Snapdragon PCs with its 7c and 8c chips
Qualcomm began its effort to make Windows on Snapdragon machines with the Snapdragon 835 chipset. That was first designed to power smartphones, and the company later developed chipsets specifically for PCs, like the Snapdragon 850 and the 8cx. These resulted in laptops like the Surface Pro X and the Galaxy Book S, which are both gorgeous pieces of hardware that cost $999 to start. For PCs that don't run all the Windows apps you might need, that's exorbitant. Qualcomm seems aware, and announced today a couple of new additions to its made-for-PC series. The 8c and 7c are midrange and entry-level processors for the Windows on Snapdragon platform that help the company provide "various price points, allowing partners to design always on, always connected PCs for a wide array of consumers."
Qualcomm's new chipset promises better AR and VR anywhere
We still haven't gotten to the point where everyone and their mothers routinely strap on extended reality (or XR) headsets, but Qualcomm seems convinced that's what the future should look like. So far, the company's processors and components have wound up in more than 30 VR and AR headsets, so it's little surprise that Qualcomm announced some new hardware to further its extended reality ambitions at its Snapdragon Summit today.
The Snapdragon 865 will amp up camera performance early next year
It's time once again for Qualcomm to unleash a slew of new chips from its annual Tech Summit in Hawaii, and after we got a quick preview yesterday of what to expect, we're now getting the details of the latest Snapdragon products. In addition to unveiling its first integrated 5G chipset today, the company also showed off the next generation of its premium flagship series, the Snapdragon 865. It features a revamped image signal processor (ISP), an updated AI engine as well as compatibility with the company's X55 5G modem.
