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Feb

New 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (MSM8960) Dual-Core CPU Benchmarked, Absolutely Blows The Socks Off All Other Publicly Released Phone CPUs

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News

The de facto hardware experts over at AnandTech have spent some time with the newest CPU from Qualcomm: the MSM8960, sporting the new 28nm Krait architecture in dual-core, 1.5GHz form. They've put it through their suite of benchmarks including Linpack, SunSpider, BrowserMark, Vellamo, and Basemark OS. In a nutshell: the MSM8960 absolutely destroys every other phone/CPU on the market right now in every. single. benchmark.

^{An example of what to expect.}

The Krait architecture supports 1, 2, and 4 CPUs, and the smaller transistor size (28nm) means that it should outperform most (if not all) comparative 40nm CPUs and offer better battery life.

Feb

New Qualcomm Chip Successfully Completes Handover From LTE To WCDMA During A Voice Call

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News

We're gradually working our way into an all-LTE world, but there are still a few hurdles to cross. One of those hurdles, the seamless handover from LTE to 3G during a VoLTE (voice-over-LTE) call, has now been achieved by Qualcomm.

So, what does that mean, exactly? Basically, if you're on a VoLTE call in an LTE network and you leave the coverage zone, the call would normally go dead. Thanks to this new chip from Qualcomm, though, that all changes. The new Snapdragon seamlessly transitions between LTE and WCDMA mid-voice call without issue, so users don't lose the call just because they exit the LTE coverage zone.

Jan

Mystery Device Sporting Qualcomm's S4 Krait SoC Shows Up In NenaMark2 Benchmark, Shows Off Adreno 225's Power

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News

An intriguing NenaMark2 benchmark showed up earlier today, giving us a glimpse of an unknown device packing Qualcomm's 28nm Snapdragon S4 Krait MSM8960 SoC. The device has a 1.5GHz CPU, 1024x600 display and an Adreno 225 GPU. Did I mention it's running Android 4.0.3?

As you can see, the mystery device's Adreno 225 GPU got an impressive 54.9 fps – a number that's even more astonishing considering the fact that Samsung's Galaxy SII (which has a considerably smaller 800x480 resolution display) scored 46.2 fps with its Mali-400 MP4 GPU.

As AnandTech rightly points out, it will be interesting to see how the Adreno 225 compares to upcoming GPUs including the Mali T-604 and Apple's A6 chip.

Jan

[Updated] Qualcomm's Snapdragon GameCommand Released To The Android Market A Few Days Early

Posted by Brandon Lancaster in Applications, Games, News

Adreno Graphics, a division within Qualcomm, has just released Snapdragon GameCommand, a new game management and discovery app. Originally, GameCommand was supposed to be released on January 10th at CES, but it looks like someone pulled the trigger early.

Update by Artem: This app is much like NVIDIA's Tegra Zone, and while the content it features isn't exclusive to Snapdragons, it looks like it does require a device with one. I tried to install the app on an Exynos-powered SGSII, and it kicked me out shortly after I started it.

I would like to point out that GameCommand seems to have serious compatibility issues with operating system versions, countries, and even devices that do have Snapdragons.

Dec

Samsung Announces The SCH-W999, An Android-Powered Flip Phone With Two Of Everything

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News, Samsung

Last Updated: December 5th, 2011

Samsung, in partnership with China Telecom, has just announced the SCH-W999, successor to the W899. The W999 is a formidable (read: huge) flip phone, and comes with two of everything – two 3.5" S-AMOLED displays at 480x800, a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 processor, and 2 SIM slots.

Besides its powerful processor and dual displays, the W999 offers a 5MP rear shooter, dual-mode connectivity, and penta-band support.

If you can't tell from the photo above, the W999 is a hefty device, at least in terms of width and height. If you're already thinking about picking one up, you'll have to wait until some time in 2012.

Oct

Qualcomm Releases FastCV, The First Mobile-Optimized Computer Vision Library

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Development, News

In an effort to help advance computer vision on mobile devices, Qualcomm has released the first mobile-optimized CV library, aptly named FastCV. While this news may not be groundbreaking for end-users, it's a pretty big deal for developers, as this library can be used in mobile development to help improve things like face detection and recognition, text tracking and recognition, gesture recognition, as well as open a whole new world for augmented reality applications.

The initial release of FastCV supports Android development, with "expanded platform support" coming soon. So, if you're a dev looking to incorporate some CV into your next app, hit this link to download.

Oct

New FCC Filing Hints At Samsung Galaxy S II LTE HD Coming To The USA

Posted by Brian O'Toole in Galaxy S II LTE HD, News, Samsung

A phone with model name SHV-E120L recently passed through the FCC. Despite our initial excitement that it could be the Galaxy Nexus (née Prime), it turned out to be none other than the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE, king of lengthy titles.

We originally saw this phone announced last month in Korea, where Samsung wowed with a spacious 4.65" screen, 1280 x 720 resolution, and disappointingly restricted geographical range. Still, if you're itching for a phone with specs to compete with the upcoming Nexus, plus TouchWiz on Gingerbread, this filing could be the good news you were hoping for.

Oct

[Review] The T-Mobile Galaxy S II: Beauty Is Only Skin Deep, But The Bloatware Goes On Forever

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Galaxy S II, Reviews, T-Mobile

Finally it's T-Mobile's turn to take a swing at the Samsung Galaxy S II, almost six months after the rest of the world. No adjective soup for this variant; its official name is, plainly, the "T-Mobile Galaxy S II." Formerly known as the "Hercules," this is the misfit in the GSII family. In its heart pumps a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, instead of the normal Samsung Exynos. So it's not just a carbon copy of all those other GSIIs. My initial impressions were posted a few days ago, and since then I've had some time to see if this thing was really worth the wait.

Oct

Qualcomm Vows Lower Power Consumption, All Around Better Performance With Newly-Announced Snapdragon S4 SoC

Posted by Liam Spradlin in News

Qualcomm just announced yesterday the details surrounding its Snapdragon S4 System on Chip, promising an impressive array of improvements over their current-gen line.

To begin with, the Snapdragon S4 shifts away from previous 45nm constructions and boasts a trim 28nm process technology, which will improve power consumption and thermal performance, as well as free up more space by using smaller components.

In the CPU department, the S4 CPU, codenamed Krait, will top at 60% better performance over Qualcomm's current Scorpion line, reaching speeds from 1.5 to 2.5GHz, while utilizing asynchronous multiprocessing and dual-channel memory.

The Adreno 225 GPU will top the 220 by about 50%, adding DirectX9.3, OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0 capabilities for Windows 8.

Oct

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II Initial Impressions

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Galaxy S II, Hercules, Samsung, T-Mobile

Last Updated: August 2nd, 2012

The FedEx man brought me a lovely little gift yesterday: The T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II. This is the last stateside arrival of the Galaxy S II family. The review will take a bit to get out the door, so until then I figured I'd whet your appetite with some initial impressions.

First of all, this thing is big. Really big. I have to say though, I love the design of it. It feels sturdy and very well made. Like Samsung really knows what they're doing. The plastic back has a wonderful texture to it that almost makes it feel like leather.