Snapdragon

OnePlus has traditional been non-traditional when it came to marketing. Months before a new smartphone, it usually piles teaser after teaser, drumming up hype for the next big thing. We might be just weeks away from the OnePlus 5, yet the startup has been surprisingly mellow. It is, however, dropping breadcrumbs along the way, like these latest confirmations from OnePlus' top brass themselves, including, to no one's surprise, the OnePlus 5 name and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

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In the past, it was usually dirt simple to differentiate between different smartphone tiers based on what features they had or didn't have. Thanks to the affordability of technologies and components, however, those lines are starting to blur. Qualcomm's latest announcement almost erases those lines. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 and 660 are its latest "mid-range" processors, taking over from the 626 and 653, respectively. But to downplay them just because of that label would be a mistake, as these processors empower with mid-range devices with high-end features.

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A Pixel 2 XXL with a Snapdragon 835 chipset and pure Android could take on the Samsung Galaxy S8+ later this year, if tidbits turned up in the code are to be believed. The smartphone is believed to be the third in a three-strong range of Pixel 2 handsets for 2017, and internally codenamed "taimen" in keeping with Google's fondness for fish. While it won't be the first device to reach the market with Qualcomm's latest chipset, there may well be a few reasons why Android fans opt to catch the Pixel 2 XXL and throw back the rest.

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This isn't exactly an earth-shattering revelation. Even if unconfirmed, it is pretty much expected. It is only fitting that Google's premiere smartphones for 2017 will run on Qualcomm's premiere mobile chip platform for 2017. So yes, the Google Pixel 2 will run on the Snapdragon 835, just like any high-end smartphone the second half of the year. Perhaps more interesting, however, are the rumors surrounding these three "by Google" Android smartphones.

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Perhaps there is a perfectly reasonable explanation why Microsoft doesn't seem to be so invested in its Windows 10 Mobile platform or the devices that rely on it. It might, instead, be more interested in getting a full Windows 10 version running on ARM-based devices. Either way, such kinds of devices are really in the works. At least that's what Qualcomm reportedly said at its Q2 2017 earnings call. Though you probably be holding your breath, because even Qualcomm itself doesn't expect things to fall into place until much later this year.

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Newer doesn't always mean better. Qualcomm learned that the hard way with the Snapdragon 810, its first new 64-bit processor/platform, notorious for its heat problems. And it might be reminded of that again, though thankfully to a less dangerous degree, with the Snapdragon 835. LG downplayed the advantages of the chip over the Snapdragon 821 it chose for the LG G6, and it seems there was actual basis for that. AnandTech was given some exclusive time to benchmark the Snapdragon 835 and, while there were clear improvements, the processor exhibited some rather mixed performance results compared to both its predecessors as well as its peers.

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Samsung is in a rather “interesting” position as far as silicon production goes. On the one hand, it makes its own Exynos application processor, which is plans to soon push harder to other OEMs. On the other hand, it now fabricates some of Qualcomm’s, specifically the Snapdragon 820, and now, the 835. You might think there’ll be a conflict of interest, especially when you see that, at least on Geekbench, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ running on an Exynos 8895 has a lead over the same phone running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

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This week the folks at Qualcomm have announced their decision to change the way they present their hardware. Instead of calling the technology they create a "Qualcomm Snapdragon processor", they'll be calling it a "Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform." This should serve to better differentiate the full scope of what Qualcomm does - that's essentially deliver a platform, yes, from which a smartphone (or other smart devices) can process, connect, and deliver data to the end user.

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GDC and MWC are just around the corner, and Qualcomm is diving head-first into virtual reality with a new dev-kit and hand-tracking technology. The chipmaker may be best known for its smartphone processors, but that same silicon is just as much at home in head-mounted displays. Indeed, the Snapdragon 835 is the centerpiece of Qualcomm's new Virtual Reality Development Kit.

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Qualcomm is pushing hard into the Internet of Things, embracing Google's Android Things OS as well as unveiling a pair of tiny, radio-packed chipsets for connected gadgets. Announced ahead of Mobile World Congress 2017 next week, the new tech is all about making smart home kit and other connected devices more power-efficient, smaller, and smarter. For device-makers, it'll mean speedier time-to-market, too.

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While LG's sole focus at the moment is likely the upcoming LG G6 — which is just days away from its debut — the company is still quietly working on its other flagship smartphone due sometime later this year. That would be the follow-up to last fall's highly-praised LG V20, tentatively known as the LG V30. Thanks to early leaks coming out of China's Weibo site, we're getting some ideas of what to expect when it comes to the Android device's specs.

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The LG G6 is expected to debut in just two weeks, but, when it does, it will be missing a key premium feature most would have wanted. It will be running on a semi-recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 instead of the newest 835. While earlier theories presented an image of Samsung getting preferential treatment for its close ties with Qualcomm. While there is, indeed, a tinge of that, the situation might be a bit more complex and has a lot to do with production schedules and volumes.

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