Qualcomm reveals its 2015 processors: 64-bit and support for 55MP cameras

By Andy Boxall April 7, 2014

Qualcomm Snapdragon — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re still dreamily looking forward to the Snapdragon 805 processor, due for release later this year, then Qualcomm has just given you something else to get excited about – it’s first 64-bit mobile processors, the Snapdragon 810 and the Snapdragon 808. However, before you cancel your order for the Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8, you should know these chips aren’t going to be out until 2015.

The Snapdragon 810 is Qualcomm’s heavy hitter. Qualcomm calls it the “highest performing Snapdragon platform to date,” but interestingly, the press release avoids talking about cores and speeds. Instead, we get a rundown of the more technical benefits the chip will bring. Headed for premium hardware, it promises improved stills and video camera performance, with support for HDR video, gyro-stabilzation, image sensors up to 55-megapixels, and 4K video recording.

On the subject of 4K resolutions, the new Adreno 430 graphics processor is specially designed for these next-generation displays, while also boosting overall performance by 30 percent compared to the Adreno 420. The good news is it does all this more efficiently, and cuts power consumption by 20 percent, too.

If the Snapdragon 810 lives up to its promise, it’ll deliver faster Wi-Fi, and in the right places, faster 4G LTE connections as well. Other features include USB 3.0 support, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, and the introduction of even quicker LPDDR4 memory. This is an important addition. Processors using 64-bit technology require plenty of memory to function at their best.

Qualcomm’s second high-end 64-bit chip is the Snapdragon 808. It will also offer the same Wi-Fi and 4G LTE speed benefits, but it uses a different graphics processor, and LPDDR3 memory. The graphics chip is designed for 2560 x 1600 pixel resolutions, which Qualcomm calls 2K.

However, exciting as these two new processors are, they’re also almost a year from seeing the inside of a phone. Why is Qualcomm talking about its next-gen chips so early? It could be feeling some pressure from MediaTek, Samsung and perhaps even Intel, forcing it to show its hand now. In the meantime, we’ll look forward to the Snapdragon 805.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

Five reasons to be excited about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888

qualcomm snapdragon 888

Qualcomm has finally launched its next-generation mobile chipset: The Snapdragon 888. It’s a leap in naming -- skipping over the expected "875" for something oddly higher. But regardless of the name, the new chipset will power the next generation of flagship Android phones -- and it brings a lot to the table.

Even at first glance, the Snapdragon 888 is a big step up from last year’s Snapdragon 865. It is Qualcomm’s first chipset to be built on a 5nm process, following Apple’s launch of the 5nm A14 Bionic in the iPad Air and iPhone 12. The Snapdragon 888 also has an integrated 5G modem (unlike the separate 5G modem on last year’s Snapdragon 865) and boasts improvements in artificial intelligence and image processing.

Mobile

A deep dive into the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888’s photo-processing tech

qualcomm snapdragon 888 image processing

Smartphone cameras have gotten a whole lot better over the past few years. That is partly due to the fact that camera sensors and lenses are getting bigger and better. But it also has a lot to do with something people don't often think about: Improvements in image processing provided by your phone's chipset. In the next generation of high-end Android phones, that image processing will be largely powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.

There are a bunch of things that make the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 a better chipset for photography, and it largely boils down to the Spectra 580 image signal processor, or ISP — though there are a few other things at play as well. Here's a rundown of the new image-processing tech used by the Snapdragon 888, and how it could affect how you take photos and videos in 2021.
Use three cameras at once
Perhaps the biggest headline feature on offer by the Snapdragon 888 is the fact that the Spectra 580 has triple ISPs. What does that mean? Well, at its core, it means that you could use up to three cameras at once on your phone.

Mobile

The Snapdragon 750G is Qualcomm’s latest 5G-enabled chipset for midtier phones

qualcomm 5g 4 series news

Qualcomm has been launching chip after chip with 5G support, and the company is back with another. The new Snapdragon 750G is built to deliver higher-end features and faster performance compared to the previous-generation Snapdragon 730G, and should make its way to the so-called "premium midtier" phones in the next year.

According to Qualcomm, there have been 275 device models built on 7-series chipsets, and 140 of those have been 5G designs. And that's only going to go up, as it's likely that most, if not all, of Qualcomm's future chipsets in the 7-series will support 5G. The Snapdragon 765 (and 765G) has already proven to be a great choice for $400-700 phones this year.