Samsung has revealed a new notebook, the Galaxy Book S, a surprise announcement alongside the new Galaxy Note 10. The slender ultraportable laptop runs Windows 10 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chipset, complete with integrated 4G LTE for always-on connectivity and longer battery life.
Galaxy Note fans might be in for yet another disappointment with this year's models. Yes, plural as it might affect both the normal model and the Plus model. Emotions ran high when Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 855+, which seems to be perfect timing for the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. Unfortunately, a new leak claims that that will not be the case and that some models will be left with an older Snapdragon while others will use a fresh new Exynos chip.
Qualcomm today announced a new version of the Snapdragon 855, aptly named the Snapdragon 855 Plus. As the name suggests, this is less of a generational upgrade and more of an incremental one, but the improvements that are there could give the incoming slate of fall flagships a decent bump up in power nonetheless. Interestingly enough, Qualcomm seems to positioning this as a good SoC for gaming phones.
Snapdragon chips are normally associated with the processors that power our mobile devices. But Qualcomm is about to roll out its Snapdragon 8cx chips, designed for laptops – and it may just give Intel a run for its money.
One of Intel’s staunchest allies may be partially leaving it behind, striking it a blow just when it’s on the verge of making its biggest jump in processor architecture and design. Although Microsoft isn’t completely jumping ship away for its next generation of Surface products, it is reportedly working towards adopting a more diverse strategy when it comes to processors. That includes a Surface Laptop with a 12 nm AMD Picasso chip and, perhaps more interesting, a Surface Pro running on a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
Qualcomm has a trio of new Snapdragon mobile platforms to announce, with the Snapdragon 730, 730G, and 665 targeting mid- to high-tier devices with an eye on value. The three new chipsets borrow tech from the category above while delivering increases in AI performance, computational photography, and a bump in gaming abilities.
Don't be turned off by the VR-like imagery in this article - this goes way beyond games, VR, and AR. Qualcomm-made headsets are about to get simple, easy to use, and able to be utilized in a number of different ways. If what Qualcomm's got onboard with "Qualcomm Boundless XR for PC" is plausible, there'll be no need for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens, or mobile VR headsets of any sort. Those brands might just be using Qualcomm's tech to replace what they've got today with what's common tomorrow.
Qualcomm's refrain may have been "5G, 5G, 5G" the last few months, but it's sneaking in some robots among its Mobile World Congress 2019 news. Qualcomm Technologies is announcing the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform, a Snapdragon-based set of hardware and software intended to make building smart robots easier.
5G smartphones won't be in short supply at Mobile World Congress 2019 next week, but Qualcomm is already announcing its second-generation 5G modem, the Snapdragon X55. Successor to the Snapdragon X50 that, along with the Snapdragon 855 chipset, is expected to be at the heart of the first round of 5G Android devices, the new modem is arguably even more important.
Qualcomm may have the lion's share of the mobile CPU market, its reign is anything but secure. Samsung and Huawei have proven up to the task and Apple continues to embarrass it in both benchmarks and courts. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, long-time rival MediaTek has been the go-to for budget devices. Now it seems that the chip maker is taking steps to ensure that it will be the favored supplier even on low-tier devices like Android Go phones with an upcoming new QM215 chipset.
As of today, Qualcomm has five distinct "mobile platform" lines manufacturers can choose from for every smartphone tier. There's the entry-level Snapdragon 200, the mid-range 400, the "premium" 600, the high-end 800, and the newest kid on the block, the 700 series. Launched just last year, the Snapdragon 700, followed by the 710, was unexpected and odd and few OEMs have jumped onboard. Of course, that hasn't stopped Qualcomm from putting out this year's chip, the Snapdragon 712, with just a little performance boost and a Quick Charge version that barely anyone uses.
