Everything you need to know about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810

Qualcomm absolutely dominates the market for premium mobile processors based on the ARM architecture. Even market segments that have traditionally been the domain of cheaper parts have been infiltrated by some of Qualcomm's newer offerings like the Snapdragon 400 and 200 series.

This brings us to the coming generation of 64-bit chips, and at the top of the heap is the Snapdragon 810. This is the chip that will power many of the top phones of 2015, but it's a significant departure for Qualcomm. Here's everything you need to know about the 810.






More CPUs, with less customization
Qualcomm rose to dominance on the strength of its custom ARM-compatible CPU cores. Just like Nvidia, Qualcomm purchased an instruction set license from ARM Holdings to design its own cores that are compatible with ARM software. The first generation of custom CPUs from Qualcomm were called Scorpion, which powered the original Snapdragon. After that we moved on to multiple CPUs in the Krait family. The Snapdragon 810 is different because it's not running a custom CPU designed by Qualcomm—the Snapdragon 810 is powered by eight ARM reference cores.





Source:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2882307/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-qualcomm-snapdragon-810.html

Samsung expected to manufacture 14nm chips for Qualcomm, Apple, possibly Nvidia in 2015

When Samsung and TSMC laid out their next-generation manufacturing plans, the two chip companies decided to pursue very different goals. TSMC opted for a 20nm half-step node that would shrink die sizes but retain conventional planar silicon, while Samsung decided it would leap straight for 14nm manufacturing and introduce FinFETs directly after the 28nm node. Now, that decision to skip 20nm altogether is paying dividends for the Korean manufacturer — it’s hitting its 14nm stride while TSMC is still ramping 20nm, and expecting to sign multiple new customers (and a few old ones) because of it.

We’ve previously discussed how Apple was expected to move manufacturing back to 14nm at Samsung after using TSMC’s 20nm node for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but new information suggests that companies like Qualcomm and Nvidia are ramping hardware there as well. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of Samsung fabbing for Nvidia, but it’s been several years since they last cropped up. Nonetheless, the timing makes sense — TSMC’s 20nm node ultimately offered fairly incremental gains over 28nm. Its 16nm FinFET node will offer a much larger improvement, but won’t be available for volume production until 2016. given the inevitable lead times between the beginning of volume production and commercial shipments, we can expect Samsung to have a 9-18 month lead over its rival (depending on the exact components and cost structure for the parts).


Full article:
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/198822-samsung-expected-to-manufacture-14nm-chips-for-qualcomm-apple-possibly-nvidia-in-2015

Octa-Core : HTC Desire 826 Octa-Core to launch in India starting Rs. 22,499

Taiwanese smartphone company HTC announced its upcoming Desire 826 early this month in CES 2015. But the company didn’t tell much about the pricing of the phone. Now that the phone has launched in China, the price has been revealed.






According to HTC, the 16 GB model of HTC Desire 826 will cost CNY 2,299, which is roughly Rs. 22,600. Customers who need even more storage can opt for 32 GB model which costs CNY 2,499, about Rs. 24,500.



Anyone living in China can order the phone from HTC Eshop online. The phone will eventually make its way into India, too. It is already listed on HTC India’s website, but the availability date or pricing has not yet been revealed for Indian customers. However, people can get a rough estimate of the price of the new phone now that it’s launched in the sub-continent.

In case you need a reminder, HTC Desire 826 is a 5.5-inch full HD display phone that comes in both single-SIM and dual-SIM variants depending on the region. The powerful phone packs an octa-core processor. Of the total eight cores that the phone sports, four cores are clocked at 1.5 GHz and the remaining four cores are clocked at 1.0 GHz. The chipset is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 that is 64-bit supported.


Source:
http://www.pc-tablet.co.in/2015/01/29/5461/htc-desire-826-octa-core-launch-india-starting-rs-22499/

Octa-Core: ZTE Blade S6 delivers octa-core Android 5.0 on a budget

ZTE goes after a younger crowd with its Blade S6. ZTE
What has eight cores and is made by ZTE? The company's latest smartphone, the 4G LTE-equipped Blade S6. Powered by Android 5.0, it's a cost-conscious attempt to attract the younger user base.






Apart from the eight-core chipset, hardware details are par for the course. They include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 CPU with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Additionally, we find a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and microSD expansion.
As for the display, ZTE is somewhat tight-lipped on the finer details. Listed only as "5-inch HD," we might look for something at 720p rather than 1080p. On a positive note, if this turns out to be the case, it could potentially lead to longer battery life.




The ZTE Blade S6 will be offered for $250 (which converts to £165 or $AU314) in silver or pink-matte finish when it launches. ZTE did not disclose carrier specifics or exact timing.


Source:
http://www.cnet.com/news/zte-blade-s6-delivers-octa-core-android-5-0-on-a-budget/

Top Android news of the week: Windows phone, Samsung overheating, and Google apps

Summary:In the news this week were rumors that Microsoft is thinking about running Android apps, Samsung is changing processors due to overheating issues, and a simple way to get Google apps on custom ROMs.

Rumor: Microsoft considering support for running Android apps

A report surfaced this week that claims Microsoft is considering letting Windows Phone owners run Android apps. The lack of apps compared to the competition has long plagued Windows Phone, and this would be a way to deal with that situation.

If Microsoft did allow running Android apps on Windows devices it should make it easier to get Android device owners to switch to Windows Phone, or Windows 10.

Source: The Information

Samsung drops Qualcomm over overheating issue

The Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor by Qualcomm has been delayed for a while. The company says it will be released soon, but information has surfaced that may impact the release.

Samsung is said to have dropped plans to use the new Snapdragon processor due to overheating exposed during testing. The company planned on putting this processor in the upcoming Galaxy S6.

This information comes from an anonymous source so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Source: Android Community

Source:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/top-android-news-of-the-week-windows-phone-samsung-overheating-and-google-apps/

QUALCOMM BACKS SATELLITE INTERNET VENTURE

ONEWEB PLANS TO DEPLOY 648 LOW-ORBIT SATELLITES FOR RURAL BROADBAND

Qualcomm has joined The Virgin Group as investors in a startup company that aims to deploy a low-orbit constellation of 648 microsatellites to bring high-speed Internet to rural areas.

WorldVu Satellites, operating as OneWeb, said Thursday that Virgin’s Richard Branson and Qualcomm Executive Chairman Paul Jacobs would join its board of directors.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Qualcomm declined to provide additional details, including the amount it invested.

“We have a shared vision to bring connectivity to underserved areas around the world,” said Jacobs in a statement. “We are pleased to join Virgin as an initial investor, and we look forward to helping fund initial technical feasibility work for the satellite system.” OneWeb said in a statement that it plans to bring in additional investors to fund construction, launch and operation of its satellite cluster. It will use Virgin Galactic’s LauncherOne program to carry its satellites into orbit.

Source:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/16/Qualcomm-Virgin-OneWeb-Worldvu-satellite-internet/

CES 2015 Highlights

• Lenovo unveils Yoga tablets, laptops, and new pen technology
• CES 2015: In search of simplicity
• Top products revealed so far
• Gadget fatigue will kill CES
• The big trends for business
• The innovative, the odd and the ugly
• Qualcomm's connected world plan chugs along
• Dell refreshes high-end XPS line

Source:

http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/top-tech-products-revealed-at-ces-2015-so-far/