HONG KONG – At the 4G/5G Summit today, Qualcomm introduced three new Snapdragon processors aimed at supporting enhanced user experiences and connectivity for high- and mid-tier mobile devices. The Snapdragon 653, 626 and 427 processors are designed to deliver higher levels of processing performance than their predecessors, the 652, 625 and 425, respectively. All three new processors are designed to support Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, delivering up to 4-times more power compared to traditional charging methods. They also support X9 LTE, CAT 7 modem for 300 megabit per second download and 150 Mbps upload speeds. In addition, support for dual camera has been extended from the Snapdragon 800 tier to the 600 and 400 tiers, for clearer imaging and photos.
Each chipset supports the following modem features:
- X9 LTE with CAT 7 modem (300 Mbps DL; 150 Mbps UL) designed to provide users with a 50% increase in maximum uplink speeds over the X8 LTE modem;
- LTE advanced carrier aggregation with up to 2×20 MHz in the downlink and uplink;
- Support for 64-quadrature amplitude modulation in the uplink; and
- Superior call clarity and higher call reliability with Enhanced Voice Services codec on voice over LTE calls.
Qualcomm Technologies also announced that over the past 12 months there have been more than 400 original equipment manufacturer designs based on its Snapdragon 600-tier chipsets, including more than 300 devices launched and more than 100 device designs currently in the pipeline.
According to Qualcomm, the new Snapdragon 600 and 400 features include:
- The Snapdragon 653 processor features an increase in central processing unit and graphics processing unit performance over the 652, as well as doubling the addressable random-access memory from 4 gigabytes to 8 GB. The 653 is pin and software compatible with Snapdragon 650 and 652.
- The Snapdragon 626 features a CPU performance increase over the 625. It also features Qualcomm TruSignal antenna boost, designed to improve signal reception in congested areas. The Snapdragon 626 is pin and software compatible with the 625, and software compatible with the Snapdragon 425, 427, 430, and 435 processors.
- The Snapdragon 427 delivers a CPU and GPU performance increase over the 425. It is the first chipset to bring TruSignal to the Snapdragon 400 tier of processors, designed to deliver antenna tuning to this high volume line of processor solutions. The 427 is pin and software compatible with Snapdragon 425, 430 and 435, and software compatible with Snapdragon 625 and 626.
“It has always been Qualcomm Technologies’ strategy to introduce industry-leading features first at the premium Snapdragon 800 tier design point, and then scale these features into our other Snapdragon products,” said Alex Katouzian, SVP of product management at Qualcomm. “A great example of this strategy is the use of dual camera for capturing high-quality photos that now range across our portfolio, including our 400 series mobile solution. Doing this allows our customers and smartphone developers to reach a broad subscriber base with advanced features and great end-user experiences.”
The Snapdragon 653 and 626 chipsets are expected to be commercially available by the end of 2016. The Snapdragon 427 chipset is expected to be in commercial devices in early 2017. Additional Qualcomm Technologies announcements made today at the Summit include a partnership enabling the first gigabit LTE mobile device and network, as well as Qualcomm’s first 5G modem operating at 28 gigahertz.
