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Google’s Pixel 4 will feature something called a ‘Pixel Neural Core’
Another day, another Pixel 4 leak. After a veritable deluge of feature reveals, including accessible Face ID, car crash detection, an updated Recorder app and touchless gestures, we now know its official specifications -- and they pretty much confirm earlier spec rumors that, like everything else about the phone, were also leaked ahead of the official Pixel 4 event.
Most Qualcomm processors will include a 5G modem next year
Qualcomm has announced that it will integrate its 5G technology into its midrange 6- and 7-series processors and not just its flagship 8-series tech. That means that by 2020, you'll be able to purchase a moderately priced device and still get 5G speeds that go well beyond 1 Gbps. It announced that the tech would be used in smartphones built by Oppo, Realme, Redmi, Vivo, Motorola, Nokia and LG. That's on top of Samsung, which is already expected to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 successor with built-in 5G.
The Fairphone 3 packs in features while keeping its green credentials
Fairphone, the company that wants to get ethically-responsible smartphones into the hands of consumers worldwide, has unveiled the third iteration of its modular device. Fairphone 3, launched under the tagline, "The phone that dares to be fair," is available for pre-order now, and boasts some pretty decent specs that put it on par with more well-established devices.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 215 CPU brings modern features to budget phones
It's high time modern features like dual cameras, longer aspect ratio displays and VoLTE calling came to sub-$100 phones and with Qualcomm's latest chipset, they just might real soon. The new Snapdragon 215 is meant to power phones that cost between $75 and $130, which means an upcoming generation of affordable handsets could be equipped for more-advanced features.
Nreal's mixed reality glasses will cost $499 and ship this year
First unveiled at CES 2019, Nreal's Light mixed reality glasses are almost ready for their commercial debut. According to the Chinese startup behind the glasses, they'll cost $499 and a limited quantity will ship to customers sometime this year. They'll enter mass production in 2020, and starting today, developers can place orders for the $1,199 developer kit, which will ship in September. Nreal announced the news at the AWE 2019 conference.
Qualcomm's latest chip will give midrange phones a gaming boost
Flagship features continue to trickle down from $1,000 phones to their more-affordable brothers, and the same is happening with the chips that power them. Qualcomm unveiled new midrange mobile CPUs today that offer advanced features typically reserved for high-end phones, like AI processing and gaming enhancements. The Snapdragon 730, 730G and 665 are supposed to show up in (presumably cheaper-than-flagship) devices in mid-2019, meaning we may have a slate of budget-friendly handsets to look out for.
Qualcomm's 8cx chipset just might make always-on PCs worth using
The last time I used one of new always-on PCs, I was intrigued by its potential -- why wouldn't I want to use an actual Windows computer that was always online? My job would be so much easier if I didn't need to, I don't know, stress about WiFi or events or file stories while waiting to get on the subway. Needless to say, the reality didn't quite live up to the hype.
Qualcomm's new PC processor promises 'extreme' power
It's been a year since we've seen the first devices running Windows on Snapdragon, and Qualcomm is continuing its quest to make a capable ARM-based processor for PCs. On the third of its three-day tech summit in Hawaii today, the company unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx. It's Qualcomm's second made-for-Windows chipset, but one that the company says offers significantly better performance and energy efficiency. So much more, in fact, that the "x" in 8cx stands for "extreme."
On-stage mistake means OnePlus won't have the first Snapdragon 855 phone
OnePlus was thrust into the limelight earlier this week when CEO Pete Lau announced on-stage that one of its 2019 flagship phones would be the first device to launch with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset. As it turns out, what seemed like a major coup for the upstart hardware maker was actually a huge mistake. Chinese versions of the slide deck Pete Lau used to make the announcement at Qualcomm's Tech Summit in Hawaii said that the phone in question would be "among the first" smartphones to use the 855 — the problem is, the slides used for the presentation in Hawaii definitively said it would be the first. Needless to say, that's a serious blunder for a company enjoying a moment under the spotlight, not to mention a disappointment to the many fans who took that slide at face value.
OnePlus's CEO is working to keep its 5G smartphone under $1,000
OnePlus built something of a minor smartphone empire by building cheap flagship phones, and that trend just might continue as it ventures into 5G territory. In an interview with Engadget, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said he would do his best to make sure the company's first 5G phone available to customers for under $1,000. If true, that means OnePlus would be able to offer access to ultra-fast data speeds for less than the price of a standard, 2018 flagship smartphone.
The Snapdragon 855 is a 7nm CPU primed for 5G, AI and more
As we hurtle towards 2019, Qualcomm has been busy introducing the world to its latest products that are likely to drive next year's biggest trends. At the first keynote of its three-day Tech Summit in Hawaii yesterday, the company already previewed some of the features of its next premium mobile processor -- the Snapdragon 855. Today, we're getting a deeper dive into the nitty gritty details of the new chipset.
Ultrasound makes Qualcomm's new in-display fingerprint sensor super-secure
Qualcomm is being coy and not telling us everything about its new Snapdragon 855 chipset yet, but it did dig into its new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor a bit. While that might not sound like the most exciting development to come out of Hawaii this week, it has big implications for how we lock down our phones and should pop up in devices by early next year.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset will power your next flagship phone
Next year's high-end Android smartphones will use (you guessed it) Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 855 chipset. Qualcomm SVP Alex Katouzian didn't dwell on the chipset for very long after announcing it at the company's Tech Summit in Hawaii — the big details will apparently drop tomorrow — but we now have a better sense of what the company wanted to focus on as we barrel into 2019.
Samsung's new phone processor has hardware for on-device AI
Samsung has announced its latest system-on-chip (SoC), the Exynos 9 Series 9820 processor, geared specifically towards managing on-device artificial intelligence applications. Unlike its predecessors, this processor contains an AI-accelerator, or NPU, that means AI-related processing can be carried out directly on the device, rather than sending the task to a server. This adds up to seven times faster performance.
Hover 2 foldable drone can look for obstacles as it flies itself
The Hover Camera Passport foldable drone made quite the impression when it first launched a little over two years ago, and then it received a major update in April last year, which added a smartphone-free mode that automatically tracks and records its owner. Save for the rumored Snap acquisition deal (which Zero Zero Robotics still denies today), we had barely heard from the drone maker since then, but today it's back with a surprise announcement: The launch of its second selfie drone, Hover 2.
Qualcomm’s new chipset gives smartwatches new personalities
"Smartwatches are a highly integrated platform," said Pankaj Kedia, Qualcomm's senior director of smart wearables, at the company's Snapdragon Wear 3100 event earlier today. To that end, Qualcomm has been working closely with Google over the past few years or so to perfect its chipset with Wear OS in mind. That's why, thanks to the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, the next version of Wear OS will support three new modes: rich-ambient mode, a dedicated sports mode plus a traditional watch mode. We saw a brief demo of all three modes at Qualcomm's event earlier today, and all three appear to have a specific theme in mind: to make the smartwatch feel as close to a real watch as possible.
Qualcomm's 7nm Snapdragon chip will be ready for 5G phones
Qualcomm is keeping up its habit of using bleeding edge manufacturing for its mobile processors. The chip designer has confirmed that its "upcoming flagship mobile platform" will include a system-on-a-chip (read: the next Snapdragon) built using a faster, more efficient 7-nanometer process. You won't hear details about the chip itself until the fourth quarter of the year, but it will play nicely with the Snapdragon X50 5G modem -- conveniently, just in time for the arrival of the first mobile 5G networks.
Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 670 is focused on AI
While Qualcomm's recently announced Snapdragon 700 chip seemed like its answer for AI in lower cost phones, the company hasn't forgotten about its mid-tier series. The new Snapdragon 670 also centers on speedier AI performance when it comes to computer vision, as it's around 1.8-times faster than the previous generation Snapdragon 660. Notably, the Hexagon 685 DSP delivering all of that speed first appeared on the high-end Snapdragon 845 last December. It's also part of the technology powering the HDR+ algorithm on Google's Pixel 2, so there's a good chance it'll lead to better looking photos on cheaper phones. The Snapdragon 670's Adreno 615 GPU is 25 percent faster than before, making it even better suited for games (which will also see a benefit from the faster AI performance). And the new Kryo 360 CPU is 15 percent faster than the last chip. That's not a huge jump, but any gains are welcome in mainstream phones. Qualcomm claims it'll be better at handling several high-intensity tasks without eating up as much battery life, as well. It's assisted by the Spectra 250 image processor, which can shoot 4K video while using 30 percent less power than before. It'll be interesting to see what sorts of devices will get the Snapdragon 670, compared to the 700 series. The latter was supposed to straddle the line between mid-range and the higher-end 800 series, but at this point the 670 seems like a worthy contender for that spot, as well.
Qualcomm launches a new chip for kid-friendly wearables
Qualcomm has finally launched a new smartwatch chip over two years after its last one, but it was created with a specific market in mind: kids. The chipmaker's new SoC, called the Snapdragon Wear 2500, has a 4G LTE modem, as well as an integrated sensor hub and can extend a watch's battery life better than its previous platform can. Wondering why Qualcomm has to create a chip specifically for children's smartwatches? Its wearables SVP Anthony Murray said it's because the growth in the "designed-for-kids but highly capable devices" segment "is very exciting." Apparently, the company is seeing "widespread global demand" for them. The chipmaker hasn't forgotten us adults, though -- according to The Verge, this is just one of two (or more) smartwatch chips it's launching this year.
New Snapdragon chips bring dual cameras to more mid-tier phones
With certain exceptions, mid-range smartphones haven't been keeping pace with the bells and whistles of higher-end handsets -- you can still expect 'just' a single rear camera and 1080p video recording. Qualcomm might soon fix that. It's launching the Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 systems on a chip, all of which promise to make dual cameras (plus a few other features) more commonplace.
