So now that Qualcomm has Snapdragon 1 GHz chips in some mainstream devices such as the HTC HD2 and Nexus One, it’s time to look down the road at what’s coming next. It can only go up from here, right? Right. We just learned that Qualcomm SVP of product management has confirmed that not one, but TWO new Snapdragons are coming before New Years Eve 2010, maxing out at 1.5 GHz.
The first processor is called the Snapdragon 8X50A, clocked at 1.3 GHz and is basically a 45nm version of the current Snapdragon. This chip will be sent out to manufacturers at the end of this month. Keep in mind, however, that this doesn’t mean they’ll be available in phones that soon; it just means that manufacturers can begin designing their devices around these processors and creating prototypes, so don’t expect new devices with this chip until the second half of 2010.
(Above pictures are of the current Snapdragon)
The follow-up to the 8X50A is called the 8X72, and is far more exciting as it will be a dual-core chip with two 1.5 GHz Scorpion cores included. This is also going to see the light of day before the end of 2010, though we don’t know whether that means it will actually be in phones or if that just means manufacturers will have it at that time. Regardless, this chip will be available for smartphones and smartbooks, and will be capable of 1080p HD resolution. Not too shabby; we can’t wait what features devices will have in store for us for CES 2011!
HTC today launched a new feature aka dumb phone at the CES. Dubbed as Smart, it’s the first phone from the Taiwanese maker to run on a non-smartphone OS. However, its keenness to give more to consumers has let them port the Sense UI to Qualcomm’s Brew Platform, which the Smart runs on. The Smart specifications include a 300MHz processor, 2.8-inch touchscreen display, 3G and quad-band GSM connectivity, Bluetooth, 3MP camera, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack.
HTC has not divulged on the pricing and availability yet but it shouldn’t cost much since its targeted at the masses.
HTC today launched a new feature aka dumb phone at the CES. Dubbed as Smart, it’s the first phone from the Taiwanese maker to run on a non-smartphone OS. However, its keenness to give more to consumers has let them port the Sense UI to Qualcomm’s Brew Platform, which the Smart runs on. The Smart specifications include a 300MHz processor, 2.8-inch touchscreen display, 3G and quad-band GSM connectivity, Bluetooth, 3MP camera, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack.
HTC has not divulged on the pricing and availability yet but it shouldn’t cost much since its targeted at the masses.
Qualcomm (which might power Verizon’s rumored iPhone) has just announced its new Brew Mobile Platform, presented as a mobile OS capable of providing “high-end features across all 3G technologies and virtually all market tiers of mobile devices, including the emerging low-cost smartphone category and other data-rich feature phones.”
Compatible with the previous versions of the OS, the new Brew MP will run on phones that should hit the US and other markets “by the late summer of 2010.”
As announced yesterday, AT&T is among the carriers that will launch Brew phones. Interested app developers can already download the Brew SDK for AT&T here.
Brew aside, Qualcomm has also unveiled HP’s first Snapdragon Android smartbook – which doesn’t have a name yet, but it was showcased today at CES 2010.
The new Android smartbook from HP and Qualcomm is slim and lightweight, and features a resistive touchscreen display, 3G, Wi-Fi and “long battery life”. A video preview of the smartbook can be watched below (via jkkmobile):
Qualcomm didn’t say when the HP Android smartbook will be available. However, it looks like the device will be cheap – which is obviously good news.
Qualcomm’s smartbook range is bound to get another addition by way of HP. Qualcomm has announced that they are currently working with HP to make a smartbook with features – you’ve heard before – like faster processing speeds, 3G, Wi-Fi connectivity, all-day battery life etc. The HP’s offering will run on QSD8250 aka 1GHz Snapdragon processor but the major difference between both the offerings would be the OS. HP’s unnamed smartbook will run Android while Skylight runs a customized version of Linux. HP has clearly chance of gaining an upper hand by releasing a similar Skylight spec’d machine (with Android, of course) at a lower price.
HP will display a working prototype at the Digital Experience and Showstoppers event in Las Vegas.
Qualcomm’s subsidiary Flo TV has partnered with accessory maker Mophie to announce an upcoming series of products that will allow iPhone and iPod touch users to watch live mobile TV.
The products will be available sometime in the first half of the year, for prices that have not been disclosed.
Flo TV and Mophie will integrate built-in FLO TV receivers into Mophie cases, so I guess you should expect your iPhone to look something like this when you’ll want to watch mobile TV on it:
For the moment, AT&T offers mobile TV from Flo TV only on three phones: LG Vu, Samsung Eternity and Samsung Mythic. Verizon also offers the service (under it V CAST brand) for the Motorola Krave and HTC Imagio.
That HTC Touch.B (Rome) handset we told you about a couple of days ago? We were not sure which smartphone OS – WinMo or Android – it will be running on.
And for good reason. Because HTC Touch.B is no smartphone at all. It’s HTC’s first feature/dumb phone, running on Qualcomms BREW platform.
The Touch.B that MobiFrance got their hands on, still seems to be a very early prototype, with incomplete feature set, lacking even wireless connection manager. So it might be a while, until it is shipped.
But they’ve already got the video of HTC Touch.B user interface:
Not much else we can tell you about the specs of HTC Touch.B. One thing is clear – it will be cheap, low end device with 2 megapixel camera.
But the presence of Touch.B in HTC’s product line-up, is in itself an interesting development.
It’s now the third mobile phone platform that HTC supports. And shows HTC’s ambitions to break out from a smartphone niche, with a goal to become a full fledged player in mobile phone market.
Frankly, I’m not a big fan of having dedicated devices but if you like them doing a single thing best, you can soon add Qualcomm’s FLO TV device to the list. It incorporates a large 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display and is only able to show live or time-shifted content, for a monthly rent. Although they do have some decent content from various publishers, having qualities of a perfect PMP and not doubling up like it is a bummer.
Anyways, the FLO TV Personal Television will give about 5 hours of continuous watching and will sell for $249.99. This price includes subscription price for first 6 months after which you’ll have to shell out $8.99 every month.
