Qualcomm adds 2 chipsets to Snapdragon S4 CPU family

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., is adding two chipsets to its Snapdragon S4 family of mobile processors - the MSM8226 and MSM8626 chipsets, along with Qualcomm Reference Design versions of both.

These chipsets will feature quad-core CPUs, the Adreno 305 GPU, and support 1080p capture and playback, and up to a 13 megapixel camera. According to a press communique, both processors will be ready for customer sampling by the second quarter of 2013 for UMTS, CDMA and TD-SCDMA.

Two new S4 processors to arrive in 2013

Building on Qualcomm’s previous quad-core offerings, both the MSM8226 and MSM8626 processors are fabricated using a 28 nanometre process and will continue to support multi-SIM capabilities with dual-SIM, dual-standby; and dual-SIM, dual-active. These chipsets incorporate the new WTR2605 multi-mode radio transceiver, which comes with an integrated, high-performance GPS core with GLONASS support. Qualcomm states that the WTR2605 transceiver offers 40 percent power savings and a 60 percent smaller footprint compared to previous generations.

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“The expansion of our Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family extends our leadership in performance and low power for the high-volume smartphones,” said Cristiano Amon, Executive Vice President and Co-President of Mobile and Computing Products, Qualcomm Technologies. “This expanded roadmap provides our customers with a differentiated feature set upon which to build compelling smartphones for budget-conscious consumers.”

The Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) versions of both the new chipsets, the QRD8226 and QRD8626, will be available for sampling by the second quarter of 2013. Quallcomm states that the QRD programme provides device manufacturers with comprehensive handset development resources and access to an ecosystem of hardware and software vendors, whose components and applications have been tested and validated for QRD-based devices. There have been more than 100 public QRD-based product launches to date in collaboration with more than 40 OEMs, and there are currently more than 100 designs in progress.

Earlier this month, Sharp Corp said Qualcomm Inc. would become a shareholder with an investment of up to 9.9 billion yen ($120 million), which will fund joint development of new LCD screens for mobile devices. The Japanese electronics manufacturer has been struggling with record losses and had its credit rating downgraded to junk by Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s. There has been regular speculation if Intel or another technology company would become a shareholder, but no major deal has materialised yet.

Sharp said that it and Qualcomm’s Pixtronix Inc. unit would develop small displays that have high-colour resolution and low power consumption based on Sharp’s “IGZO” display technology.

Qualcomm’s investment in Sharp will be made in two stages. The injection of cash is not sizeable enough to completely stabilise Sharp’s finances.