QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) talked about its upcoming high end smartphone chip, which will give more download speed along with the 64 bit technology. The Snapdragon 810 chip from the company will show up in smartphones from 2015, and is the latest offering from the chip-maker designed to hold its ground in the semiconductor segment for mobile devices.
Qualcomm looks to be in a hurry
The latest chip includes WiFi along with 4G modem, which according to Qualcomm, downloads data two times faster than its predecessors. It also supports video recording and playback at “4K” ultra high resolution.
Since the launch Apple’s iPhone made with a 64-bit processor, QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) and other chipmakers are also prepping to launch their own 64 bit technology, which would lessen the gap between low power mobile processors and punchier chips used in laptops, desktop PCs and servers.
The latest announcement from QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) comes even before the launch of its high-end line-up, the 805, which is scheduled for mid-2014. Back in December, Qualcomm announced its first 64 bit chip, which is a part of its cheaper versions to be installed in the low end smartphones, in the rapidly booming smartphone market in China.
Enhanced hardware/Software required for 64-bit
At present, the smartphones from Apple lack the storage to support a 64-bit processor, which is better than broadly used 32 bit chips. However, upcoming phones will be stuffed with enough memory to enhance the performance of a 64 bit processor. Apart from the memory, the software, as well as the operating system also needs to be enhanced to integrate the 64 bit chip, which is a massive task for the industry.
“We’re basically saying it’s difficult to call exactly when 64-bit operating systems and applications will become mainstream, but by integrating them now we’re future-proofing all of our platforms going forward for the benefit of our (customers),” Executive Vice President Murthy Renduchintala told Reuters.
QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a world leader when it comes to 4G wireless technologies, and its Snapdragon chips are one of the most popular products in their segment used by Samsung Electronics, Motorola, HTC and other manufacturers. However, the smartphone market has reached a saturation level, which raises the threat for Qualcomm. Developed economies such as the United States are seeing less demand for smartphones and high end phone manufacturers like iPhone are focusing more towards China, where consumers spend less on high end devices.
