Qualcomm expands Snapdragon platform for smarter smartphones, smartbooks

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: Qualcomm Inc. is expanding the Snapdragon platform with a next-generation chipset that uses 45nm process technology to provide faster processing, significant battery life improvements and other enhancements for the user experience on Snapdragon-powered smartphones and smartbooks.

The new Snapdragon QSD8650A chipset -- scheduled for sampling before the end of 2009 -- offers significant performance improvements including a 1.3 GHz processor for 30 percent higher performance as well as enhanced multimedia and 2D/3D graphics. Using 45nm also allows power consumption improvements such as up to 30 percent lower dynamic power than previous-generation Snapdragon products and an unmatched standby power of less than 10 millwatts.

“This latest addition to the growing family of Snapdragon chipsets will help our customers to develop faster, more power-efficient smartphones and smartbooks,” said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of marketing and product management at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “This new 45 nm device shows our continued commitment to extending the capabilities of the Snapdragon platform with leading-edge process technology and an expanded list of integrated features.”

The QSD8650A chipset offers an exceptionally high level of integration. In addition to its faster processor and faster bus speed, the new QSD8650A chipset also offers multi-mode UMTS and CDMA 3G mobile broadband connectivity in the same 15x15mm package as current Snapdragon chipsets.

A standalone, power-efficient 2D graphics accelerator and enhanced 3D graphics core deliver a powerful multimedia experience with better performance of Adobe Flash software. It also features integrated GPS and high-definition video recording and playback, the latest Bluetooth 2.1 technology and support for Wi-Fi, high-resolution WXGA displays and mobile TV technologies such as MediaFLO, DVB-H and ISDB-T.

In addition to the new QSD8650A chipset, Qualcomm's Snapdragon family includes the original 1 GHz QSD8x50 chipsets and the 45nm QSD8672 chipset with dual CPUs capable of up to 1.5 GHz for even faster response and processing. More than 15 manufacturers are now developing more than 30 Snapdragon-based products, the first of which is the Toshiba TG01 Smartphone, introduced in February 2009.