Qualcomm has unveiled its first processor for 5G smartphones and latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. In addition to multi-gigabit broadband speeds with the 5G modem, the device upgrades again the on-device AI, extended reality and camera opportunities and supports new features such as advanced gaming and in-display fingerprint readers. Samsung said it will use the platform to launch its firs 5G devices in the first half of 2019.
Qualcomm said its fourth-generation AI Engine provides up to three times the performance compared to the previous generation mobile platform. The Snapdragon 855 offers a total capacity of more than 7 trillion operations per second, based on the new Qualcomm Hexagon 690 processor. The enhanced neural processing will support new on-device AI functions such as voice controls, camera optimisation, gaming and VR/AR experiences.
The 855 features a Qualcomm Kryo 485 CPU built on Arm Cortex, offering up to a 45 percent performance improvement over Qualcomm's previous flagship processor, as well as the new Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU, which the company said provides up to 20 percent faster graphics than the previous generation.
The new processor, built on 7nm equipment, also includes what Qualcomm claims is the world’s first Computer Vision ISP to support computational photography and video capture features, the Qualcomm Spectra 380. The CV-ISP includes hardware-based depth sensing which enables video capture, object classification, and object segmentation in real-time in 4K HDR at 60fps. It's also the first ISP to support video recording using HDR10+.
Other new features on the Snapdragon 855 include Snapdragon Elite Gaming for enhanced colours, graphics and latency to support the latest phones targeting gamers. In addition, the company announced the Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor, an ultrasonic sensor for placing the fingerprint scanner under the display of the phone, and said the processor will support the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard and mmWave Wi-Fi (802.11ay).
5G trials and demos
The new platform was previewed at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii, where the company also demonstrated new 5G applications with customers such as AT&T, EE, Telstra, Verizon, Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung. Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon said the company expects 5G to be a commercial reality starting in early 2019 with mobile device launches and network roll-outs across North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia and China.
AT&T and Verizon turned on live millimeter wave 5G networks at the event and showcased a number of 5G consumer experiences powered by the Snapdragon X50 5G Modem and RF subsystem. In addition to announcing plans for its first 5G phone next year, Verizon demoed with Samsung a 5G New Radio data connection using 400MHz of bandwidth in the 28GHz spectrum, resulting in speeds of more than 1.7 Gbps. The test used non-standalone 5G with 4G equipment also from Samsung and a smartphone form-factor device with the Qualcomm 5G modem, antenna modules and RF front end.
