News from Qualcomm’s annual conference
Qualcomm says its latest mobile system on a chip (mSoC), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the camera, connectivity, gaming, security and sound of smartphones that could be in the shops for January. Reporting from Qualcomm’s annual conference, the Snapdragon Summit, RCR Wireless editor Sean Kinney described the new Snapdragon Connect as the world’s first 5G AI mobile platform processor. It’s also the only commercial Wi-Fi 7 system to use High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link.
The mSOC will boost 5G download and upload speeds, widen coverage and improve response times with an X70 5G Modem-RF System. There is support for two SIMs, which can be in a combination of either 4G and 5G or 5G and 5G, without the need to physically swap the cards. The comms sub-system creates the most advanced Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity ever. The mSOC even has its own equivalent of carrier aggregation in a cellular network, the aforementioned Wi-Fi 7 High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link. This allows a device to alternate between the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands to improve peak speeds and lower congestion.
For gaming, Snapdragon Sound features 48 millisecond latency and “a built-in voice backchannel for crystal-clear communication to and from other players.” The Adreno GPU is 25% faster than its predecessor and the Kryo CPU is 40% more power efficient.
The Snapdragon Sight camera uses an AI neural network to add contextual awareness and create a customised professional image. The Snapdragon Secure system has the powers of isolation, cryptography, key management and attestation, “all intricately designed to protect [your] data and privacy.” Snapdragon Sound supports spatial audio with dynamic head-tracking for complete surround-sound immersion and 48 KH lossless streaming audio.
Smartphones with this technology will appear by the end of this year, predicted Kinney. Qualcomm said it has deals with manufacturers including Asus, Honor, Motorola, nubia, OnePlus, Oppo, Redmagic and Sony. Qualcomm’s Chris Patrick, SVP and GM of Mobile Handsets, said AI has created: “unparalleled connectivity, and champion-level gameplay.”