Qualcomm's Next-Gen Snapdragon Chip Details Leaked

A Qualcomm presentation was leaked that reveals its plans for the next-generation Snapdragon processors. The company is quite ambitious, suggesting that it would not only beat existing ARM Cortex A9 chips currently used in devices such as the iPad 2 and the Motorola XOOM, but that it would also beat future Cortex A15 chips by the time its new chip architecture arrives later this year.

The MSM8270, MSM8930, MSM8960, and APQ8064 are all based on Qualcomm's new CPU architecture called Krait. The new chip will be made on a 28 nanometer process and run at speeds up to 2.5GHz, with almost 23 percent more computing power than the Cortex A15 and using 47 percent less power for the same performance. The chip is expected to have speeds up to five times faster than its predecessor in raw CPU power and four times faster when it comes to graphics for "console quality gaming." It will be able to support not only 1080p and 3D video, but also 7.1-channel Dolby Surround and up to a 20-megapixel camera.

The MSM8960 has built-in 3G and LTE-based 4G hardware and will ship out to companies for testing by end of Spring. The rest of the Snapdragon chips will be shipped by the end of the year, with actual products utilizing the chip depending on when the device manufacturers are ready. This means we could be seeing the chips in mobile devices by 2012.

[via Electronista]