Qualcomm has announced its next-gen Snapdragon chipset at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new processor micro-architecture – code-named Krait – is expected to boast blazing speeds of 2.5GHz per core.
As such, Krait will offer 150 percent higher overall performance, as well as 65 percent lower power consumption compared to the current generation of ARM-based CPU cores on the market.
The chipsets are slated to be available in single-, dual- and quad-core versions and will include a new Adreno GPU series with up to four 3D cores, along with an integrated multi-mode LTE modem.
Connectivity options will include WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM, as well as support for near field communication (NFC), stereoscopic 3D (S3D), video and photo capture/playback.
“Just as the original Snapdragon revolutionized smartphones with the first 1GHz processor, these new generations of Snapdragon will revolutionize the next wave of mobile entertainment and computing,” explained Qualcomm VP Steve Mollenkopf.
“[For example], at the high end, the Adreno 320 quad-core GPU will deliver up to 15 times the performance of the original Adreno to drive the latest games and S3D video on larger-screen devices.”
It should be noted that the Adreno 320 delivers similar graphics performance to current-gen game consoles – but on mobile devices.
Of course, the Krait chipset family will also support 3D/S3D games, capture and playback of S3D photos and videos, as well as output in full HD to a 1080P flat panel display over HDMI.
