Qualcomm – FWNED

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 is already being tested with the latest Snapdragon 820 processor

Matt Kinne — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 15:58:02 +0000

Earlier this year, rumors of the Snapdragon 810 overheating took the mobile world by storm. Qualcomm claimed that these rumors were false, but we all knew that wasn’t the case. Regardless, this later caused Samsung to drop the Snapdragon 810 altogether for their Galaxy S6/S6 edge duo, which was for the best. The Exynos 7420 is still one of the most powerful processors on the market. The latest news is that Samsung could be heading back to Qualcomm and using the Snapdragon 820 on the Galaxy S7.

This is quite surprising, mainly because how well the Exynos processors perform with their 14nm process. That means Qualcomm must have something special going with the Snapdragon 820 which would cause Samsung to go back on their in-house processor, at least for some models.

This isn’t the first time that we have heard that the Galaxy S7 could feature the Snapdragon 820 and this doesn’t seem like it will be the last. According to the leak on Weibo, Qualcomm has shipped the latest prototype of the 820 to Samsung to test in the Galaxy S7.

The latest version of the Snapdragon 820, which is 3.x, contains four custom Kyro cores, the Adreno 530 GPU, and is made with the 14nm FinFET manufacturing process courtesy of Samsung. It is already receiving better results than the Snapdragon 810 in both power consumption and thermal management. The 820 should reach clock speeds of up to 3.0 GHz, which would quite impressive for an octa-core processor.

According to the other reports, there will be two variants of the Galaxy S7, one that ships with the next-gen Exynos M1 processor and another that ships with the Snapdragon 820. If that’s the case, North America will probably see Qualcomm’s chipset whereas the international version will likely see Samsung’s Exynos chipset. This has been seen in the past, so it wouldn’t be surprising.

Source | Via

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Snapdragon 820 will feature custom cores, manufactured by Samsung

Matt Kinne — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:26:42 +0000

It’s safe to say that the Snapdragon 810 processor did not go as well as planned. The processor has been doomed with overheating issues since the beginnings, and it left Qualcomm and phone manufacturers scrambling. The latest reports suggest that Qualcomm is doing everything they can to regain credibility with the Snapdragon 820.

Qualcomm lost a major portion of their business when Samsung decided to go with their superior in-house processor, the Exynos 7420. Most notably, the Exynos 7420 was made with a 14nm process, which is much more efficient than the Snapdragon 810’s 20nm process. In order to take a shortcut, the latest reports from South Korea suggest Qualcomm has actually tapped Samsung to help with production.

To top it all off, the Snapdragon 820 will return to custom CPU cores called Kyro which can be clocked up to 3.0 GHz. The 820 will not be clocked at those speeds out of the box, but it will be able to be achieved via overclocking.

The Snapdragon 820 could first see the light of day in the latter part of this year. Among the phone manufacturers speculated to use the chipset first are HTC, Sony, and Xiaomi.

Source

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OnePlus 2 will boast Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor

Matt Kinne — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 01:01:17 +0000

It has been a long time coming, but our first official details of the OnePlus 2 have surfaced thanks to a forum post from the OnePlus team. The highly anticipated OnePlus 2 will feature the Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor. It seems as if OnePlus and Qualcomm will tackle the overheating issues head on.

According to the article, the OnePlus engineers went back and forth on which processor to use for the OnePlus 2, but kept going back to the Snapdragon 810. They noted that its speed and ability to multitask while maintaining top battery performance was the deciding factor.

To give a refresher on the Snapdragon 810, it features a 64-bit architecture running eight cores. Four cores are clocked at 2 GHz and four more cores clocked at 1.55 GHz. On top of that it is made with a 20nm process and is running the latest Adreno 430 GPU.

It seems as if OnePlus and Qualcomm have teamed-up on the Snapdragon 810 v2.1 to make the software and hardware work efficiently while keeping it a very powerful package. We’ve seen this before the LG and Qualcomm on the Snapdragon 808 processor. What’s interesting is that they clearly note the typical Snapdragon 810 overheats, but the software being optimized alongside the S810 v2.1, will run much, much cooler.

It will definitely be interesting to see if Qualcomm in partnership with OnePlus can finally cool the heat on the Snapdragon 810. The processor has been plagued ever since its debut on the LG G Flex 2, so it has been heavily throttled, which limits performance.

Source

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Project Tango smartphone announced by Qualcomm; features Snapdragon 810

Matt Kinne — Fri, 29 May 2015 23:28:21 +0000

Just earlier this week, Google announced that the Project Tango tablet would be available for everyone willing to pony up $512. Previously an inivted was needed to obtain the tablet powered by the Tegra K1 processor and 4 GB of RAM. Now, it seems as if a successor is in the works, and this time it will be a smartphone.

Qualcomm may have jumped the gun a bit, seeing as Google hasn’t formally announced a Project Tango smartphone. The reasoning behind Qualcomm’s reveal is that the device will use the controversial Snapdragon 810 processor that has been plagued with overheating and throttling issues since its conception. Qualcomm’s entire press release can be seen below.

Qualcomm® Snapdragon 810 processor will power Google’s next generation Project Tango smartphone development platform. Project Tango devices combine the camera, gyroscope, and accelerometer to estimate six degree of freedom motion tracking, providing developers the ability to track 3D motion of a device while simultaneously creating a map of the environment. This capability is especially useful for applications such as real-world 3D gaming, indoor navigation, and virtual and augmented reality experiences.

Developers will be able to utilize tools from Qualcomm Developer Network to take advantage of features included in the premium tier Snapdragon 810 processor and enhance the performance of Android applications, such as access to the Qualcomm® Hexagon DSP via the Hexagon SDK as well as the Qualcomm® Vuforia mobile vision platform.

If you need a refresher, Project Tango essentially gives the developers a way to use the camera, gyroscopes, and accelerometer to track 3D motion and make a map of the surroundings.

One has to wonder if Qualcomm is trying to win back the support of their flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 810. Like stated above, it has been overheating since day one, even though they deny it. There is a reason LG chose to use the Snapdragon 808 inside their flagship, the G4. If Google chooses to use a Snapdragon 810 in their Project Tango, it must be good. Right?

Source | Via

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Snapdragon 818 processor is fake; Analyst says rumors are false

Matt Kinne — Tue, 12 May 2015 13:07:57 +0000

Just the other day, there were rumors flying around, thanks to a few larger, gullible websites, that Snapdragon had a new processor under wraps. Not only that, but it would be Qualcomm’s first chip to ever have 10-cores, just like MediaTek’s new processor. This is where the alleged Snapdragon 818 comes in.

According to the leak, the Snapdragon 818 would sport four cores clocked at 2.0 GHz, two cores clocked at 1.6 GHz, and four smaller cores clocked at 1.2 GHz. Not only that, but it would feature an Adreno 532. Sounds too good to be true, right? Yes, it is.

Anyways, a Chinese analyst named Pan Jiutang, has come forward and stated that the Snapdragon 818 is just a rumor filled with nonsense specifications. If you are wondering about his track record, he has leaked multiple details about processors, including MediaTek’s latest deca-core beast.

I’m sure eventually Qualcomm will look into developing a deca-core processor, but it definitely isn’t on the horizon anytime soon. They already released their road map for 2015 and they seem pretty set on octa-core chipsets.

Source | Via

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HTC One M9 latest software update quells heating issues

Matt Kinne — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 17:26:13 +0000

Remember last week when we showed you that the HTC One M9 reached over 130 degrees Fahrenheit while running a benchmark test? Yeah we do, and so does the internet. HTC reps claimed that it was “pre-released” software causing the issue and it could be fixed via a software update. The good news is that the rumored software update seems to have dissipated the heat… literally.

After the image seen above flooded the internet, HTC’s own Jeff Gordon had the following to say:

PSA: One more time, all together now: HTC One M9 software isn’t final yet, no matter how many pre-release benchmarks you run.

— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) March 16, 2015

Many thought a software issue couldn’t cool off the Snapdragon 810 processor, but it seems as if it did. After HTC pushed out what is thought to be the final software, the running temp during GFXBench went from 131 degrees down to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only does the device run almost 20 percent cooler, it seems as if the device dissipates heat quite well, thanks to the aluminum unibody. Of all of the flagships tested, the One M9 controls the heat the best. Looking at the iPhone 6 Plus, Note 4, and most notably the G3, heat is focused in central spots around the processor.

Remember this? Everyone who covered this “news” last week can feel free to update their story. http://t.co/40dyeptMEe pic.twitter.com/RO1qtEU9Ed

— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) March 23, 2015

Source

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HTC One M9 overheating issues won’t go away; surface temp exceeds 130 degrees during GFXBench

Matt Kinne — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 16:15:00 +0000

The accusations of the Snapdragon 810 processor overheating have been around ever since the Qualcomm powered chip was first announced. It has long been denied from Qualcomm and even LG. More recently, the HTC One M9 seems to disregard those claims as it continues to overheat.

The first real overheating issue spotted was right after HTC’s MWC announcement of the One M9 where it overheated during the AnTuTu Benchmark. While it did overheat, there could have been plenty of factors that played into it such as continued charging, excessive use, pre-production device, etc. It definitely didn’t dispel any rumors, but it kept them coming.

Today, more information of the chip set overheating within the metal unibody of the HTC One M9 has surfaced. A Dutch site called Tweakers took the HTC One M9 and put it through a battery of tests, including the GFXBench. During the benchmark, the rear of the device heated up to 131 degrees. To give you a perspective, tap water at 140 degrees can give you third-degree burns.

Tweakers didn’t stop there, as the lined of five marquee devices and ran the same benchmark side-by-side to give a perspective to how hot the device actually gets. Among the devices, the Galaxy Note 4 and the HTC One M9’s predecessor were the coolest at 100 degrees and 102 degrees respectively.

While this is definitely still a cause for concern, the conditions are unknown. Like we mentioned earlier, it could be because of the device not being a final product or other outside factors. We won’t know until the masses get their hands on the HTC One M9 later this month.

Update from HTC’s Jeff Gordon:

PSA: One more time, all together now: HTC One M9 software isn't final yet, no matter how many pre-release benchmarks you run.

— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) March 16, 2015

Source | Via

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HTC One M9 with Snapdragon 810 overheats during AnTuTu Benchmark

Matt Kinne — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 02:58:30 +0000

Mobile World Congress 2015 is in full swing, but must of the anticipated announcements are behind us. That includes Samsung’s debut of the Galaxy S6 and HTC’s debut of the One M9. Those devices are arguably two of the biggest flagships of 2015 and they differ in one major way; they have different processors. The HTC One M9 is backed by a Snapdragon 810 whereas the Galaxy S6 is backed by a Exynos 7420.

Late last year, a rumor popped up that Qualcomm was having a hard time keeping the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor cool. It was plagued with overheating issues which led Samsung to switch to their own in-house processor.

Time went on and LG debuted the first device to feature the Snapdragon 810, the G Flex 2. Both LG and Qualcomm stated that there was no more overheating issues and LG even stated that it was cooler than the Snapdragon 801. A new image from MWC 2015 now contradicts that claim.

An image has surfaced online of an HTC One M9 at Mobile World Congress running the popular AnTuTu Benchmark application. While that may not surprise, this sure will. A warning popped up on during the test and stated “The device temperature is too high. Please test again after cooling the device. Continue testing may cause the system to restart or shut down.”

This is either very coincidental or Qualcomm never actually fixed the overheating issues with the Snapdragon 810. It definitely raises some questions surrounding the device, but it could be due to the fact that it was a display model. We don’t know how long the device was plugged in, how extensively it was used, etc. The G Flex 2 did not overheat during the benchmark, so it could be software related. Either way, we’ll keep you posted.

Source | Via

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LG speaks out supporting Snapdragon 810; claims it emits less heat

Matt Kinne — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:07:40 +0000

Rumors surrounding Qualcomm’s highest-end processor, the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor overheating have been quite prevalent. The rumors have actually been getting louder by the week, most notably with reports of Samsung dropping Qualcomm all together for their Galaxy S6.

Reuters spoke with LG electronics on Thursday and they stated that they didn’t encounter any overheating problems in testing. The Snapdragon 810 is featured in their new phone the LG G Flex 2 and Woo Ram-Chan, LG’s VP of mobile product planning had the following to say:

“I am very much aware of the various concerns in the market about the Snapdragon 810, but the chip’s performance is quite satisfactory.”

In product testing, they actually found adverse results and stated that the chip actually produced less heat than processors on other devices on the market.

Source: Reuters | Via: Phandroid

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Qualcomm’s new lineup leaked: Specifications are mouth watering!

Andrew Kinniburgh — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:26:26 +0000

The Snapdragon camp was under fire recently due to the delay and an overall tension surrounding the 810 chipset, but it looks like Qualcomm have put that behind them, and if the recent leaks are anything to go by, we are in for a wild ride. Lets take a look at what exactly we have at our disposal as of now –

Snapdragon 616 – This chipset will most likely succeed the 615, which is currently one of the best upper mid-range chipsets in the market. Any Good mid-ranger in the market runs on the 600 series, and 615 is a popular choice. The 616 however, will look to put an end to the 615, and though it will have the same eight Cortex A-53 cores like its predecessor, it will clock between 1.8 to 2.2 GHz, significantly more than the 615. The GPU will also see a likely bump up to the 408, thus making this new 616 chipset, a sure shot replacement for the 615. What I gather from this is that the smartphones in the future, will see better clock speeds, which means, the clock speeds we find in the flagships these days , will be handed down to the mid rangers, while the flagships themselves will get better fire power. In short- its going to be Good Bye PC in a few years.

Snapdragon 620 – This chipset will be based on the ‘Taipan’ architecture, which is Qualcomm’s own architecture. The Chipset will reportedly feature four cores, and feature an Adreno 418 GPU, DDR3 RAM and CAT.10 LTE support.

Snapdragon 625 and 629 – These two siblings will be octa core chips and feature the Adreno 418 GPU, like the 620. What is new in them is that they will feature the upgraded LPDDR4 RAM and will be based on the 20nm HKMG technology.

This is what has been leaked as far as the new 600 series lineup is considered. Things get interesting in the flagship 800 series.

Snapdragon 815 – This beast of a chipset will reportedly feature eight cores in the big.Little setup. The Big.Little architecture is a heterogenous computing architecture developed by ARM holdings, coupling relatively slower, low power processor cores with more powerful, power hungry ones. The intention is to create a multi-core processor that can adjust better to dynamic computing needs while using comparatively less power than clock scaling alone. The 815 will feature an Adreno 450 GPU, and updated LPDDR4 RAM. This Chipset will also be based on the 20nm process.

Snapdragon 820 – This is most certainly, the cream of the crop. If these leaks are true, then this chipset, will definitely go down in history as one of the best things to happen to mobile devices in terms of sheer performance. This Chipset will most likely feature eight TS2 cores. The big.Little setup seems to be absent in the leaked spec sheet, so that must be pointing to one deadly fact – All eight cores will most likely work simultaneously. RAM support and LTE models are same as the 815, but the GPU in the 820 chipset is reportedly a sizzling Adreno 530 – Hope you are reading this gamers!! Theres one more thing thats new in this chipset, and that is the 820 chipset will be manufactured based on the 14nm FinFET manufacturing process. Now, this process is licensed to GlobalFoundries, which might be busy manufacturing Apple’s new A9 chip towards the end of 2015, which means the 820 should see the light of the day in early 2016.

Before we get too excited, we must bear in mind that all these specs are just preliminary, and as to how much of this is really true remains to be seen. But if we do give this leak the benefit of doubt, and take for granted that this is what is upcoming from Qualcomm, then the mobile industry is en route to a whole new generation .

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