14 DAY TRIAL // Handset and smartphone developers everywhere now have another reason to rejoice as the new, very fast and multi-cored ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets have made their official debut. Dubbed the Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM8260 and MSM8660, these fresh platforms, as the third-generation in their line, are the first to integrate dual-core ARM processors while also boasting, among other things, support for advanced multimedia features.
The newcomers are obviously meant to be used in high-end smartphones, where the extra processing power will definitely enable a smoother performance. Also, besides the two CPU cores, the Snapdragons integrate a GPS function and support for multi-mode HSPA+ (MSM8260) and HSPA+ 1xEV-DO Rev. B (MSM8660). What's more, they bring along graphics processors compatible with 24-bit WXGA 1,280 x 800 pixel displays. The GPUs provide 2D and 3D acceleration engines for Open VG 1.1, 1080p video encoding/decoding and Open GL ES 2.0. What's more, the chipsets even come with low power, dedicated audio engines.
“Qualcomm’s first-generation Snapdragon chipsets set a new standard for advanced smartphones and smartbook devices, and our second-generation solutions are already shipping in volume,” said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “We are very excited by the innovation our customers are already showing as they begin designing products based on our dual-core MSM8260 and MSM8660 chipsets.”
Engadget reports that, according to the Qualcomm representatives at Computex, a faster third-generation chipset will show up by year's end and will power larger consumer electronics, probably tablets/slates, among other things. Unfortunately, the company would not show the new silicon to anyone except for prospective customers. Nonetheless, the team was still able to learn that the MSM8260 and MSM8660 have two application cores, besides the modern core, instead of just one application core like the chips that came before them.