Processor platform for entertainment apps combines LTE modem, Wave 2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, high-speed GPU

Qualcomm Incorporated announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has introduced the Company’s newest premium-tier mobile platform, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with X16 LTE. The Snapdragon 835 processor is the first mobile platform to be commercially manufactured using the 10nm FinFET process node, allowing for breakthrough performance and superior power efficiency. The Snapdragon 835 is designed to support next-generation entertainment experiences and connected cloud services for premium-tier consumer and enterprise devices, including smartphones, VR/AR head-mounted displays, IP cameras, tablets, mobile PCs and other devices running a variety of OS’s including Android and Windows 10 with support for legacy Win32 apps.

Key components of the Snapdragon 835 processor include an integrated X16 LTE modem for Gigabit Class LTE connectivity, integrated 2×2 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 5, and optional 802.11ad for Multi-gigabit connectivity. Improved processing power and performance is supported with our new Qualcomm® Kryo™ 280 CPU and Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 682 DSP, which includes support for TensorFlow for machine learning and Halide for image processing.

The Snapdragon 835 also includes substantial enhancements to the Qualcomm® Adreno™ visual processing subsystem, including the new Adreno 540 GPU and Qualcomm Spectra™ 180 image sensor processor (ISP) for next-generation camera capabilities. Also new in Snapdragon 835 is the Qualcomm Haven™ security platform with enhanced security for biometrics and device attestation.

The improvements available with the Snapdragon 835 powers can be summarized across five key technology pillars underpinned with a foundation of enhanced machine learning. The five technology pillars are:

• Battery life: The Snapdragon 835 is 35 percent smaller in package size and consumes 25 percent less power compared to our previous generation flagship processor, which equates to longer battery life and thinner designs. The Kryo 280 CPU provides a highly efficient architecture for power, while the integrated Hexagon 682 DSP adds support for TensorFlow and Halide frameworks. The combination of the CPU, GPU, DSP and software framework support in the Snapdragon 835 offers a highly-capable heterogeneous compute platform. Additionally, the Snapdragon 835 is equipped with Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 4 for up to 20 percent faster charging and up to 30 percent higher efficiency than Quick Charge 3.0;
• Immersion: The Snapdragon 835 is designed to simultaneously meet the high performance demands, thermal limits and power efficiency constraints of the next-generation virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) designs, and supports Daydream, Google’s platform for high quality, mobile VR. Many improvements were made to enhance visual quality, sound quality and intuitive interactions. Such improvements include up to a 25 percent increase in 3-D graphics rendering performance and support of up to 60 times more colors with the Adreno 540 visual processing subsystem. Snapdragon 835 also supports 4K Ultra HD premium (HDR10) video, wide color gamut 10-bit displays, object and scene-based 3D audio, and outstanding VR/AR motion tracking that includes our own sensor fusion-based six degrees of freedom (6DoF);
• Capture: The Snapdragon 835 enhances both still and video capture experience with smooth optical zoom capabilities, fast auto-focus technologies and HDR true-to-life colors with perceptual quantization video encoding. At the core of the capture experience is the Qualcomm Spectra 180 camera ISP, featuring dual 14-bit ISPs that will enable up to 32MP single or dual 16MP cameras for the ultimate photography and videography experience;
• Connectivity: The Snapdragon 835 comes with an integrated X16 Gigabit-Class LTE modem, with integrated 2×2 802.11ac Wave-2 and 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, making it the first commercial processor equipped to deliver Gigabit-Class connectivity at home and on the go. With several Gigabit LTE networks expected to be rolled out around the globe in 2017 and increasing use of 802.11ad, the Snapdragon 835 is designed to empower a new generation of connected experiences in the areas of VR/AR, infinite cloud storage, rich entertainment and instant apps;
• Security: The Qualcomm Haven security platform provides support for fingerprint, eye and face-based biometrics. It also includes hardware-based user authentication, device attestation, and device security for use cases such as mobile payments, enterprise access, and users’ personal data;
• Pillars bolstered by machine learning: Upgrades to the Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine software framework include support for Google’s TensorFlow and enhancements to Hexagon DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtentions (HVX), including custom neural network-layer support, and power and performance optimizations on Snapdragon heterogeneous cores. OEMs and software developers using machine learning can now enable rich experiences such as intelligent photography, strong security and privacy protection, smart automobiles and personal assistants, and responsive and true-to-life VR and AR.

The Snapdragon 835 is in production now and is expected to ship in commercial devices in the first half of 2017. www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon.