Qualcomm Fully Details Snapdragon 835, Won’t Just Power Flagship Smartphones

Here at CES, Qualcomm just got done fully unwrapping their next flagship processor, the Snapdragon 835. To say they are excited about the year ahead, partly because of the 835, is an understatement. Qualcomm has big plans for this next-gen chip that moves beyond just the next wave of flagship phones, though it will be in most of those. But to take this chipset beyond, Qualcomm is looking at augmented reality, virtual reality, and more.

As you know, the Snapdragon 835 is Qualcomm’s first 10nm processor. What you may not have known is the fact that this processor is “35 percent smaller in package size and consumes 25 percent less power” then the Snapdragon 820/821. It also runs the Kryo 280 CPU, is equipped with Quick Charge 4.0, new Adreno 540 GPU, X16 Gigabit-Class LTE modem (Cat 13 LTE), 802.11ad WiFi, Qualcomm Haven security platform, is 4K-display ready, and can power 32MP cameras or dual 16MP  shooters. 

Outside of those goodies and how they will work in flagship phones, Qualcomm is also planning to use the 835 in VR and AR experiences. That could mean phones, like through Daydream phones or Tango, but it means newer products, like VR glasses.

The Snapdragon 835 is in production now and will start shipping in devices over the first half of 2017.

The full press release can be found below, but processor nerds are going to want to head over to Qualcomm’s site to get the dirty details. You’ll get those here.

Press Release

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform to Power Next-Generation Immersive Experiences

— Qualcomm Technologies’ First 10nm System-on-Chip to Provide World-Class Performance and Enhanced Power Efficiency —

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — At CES® 2017 today, Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) 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.

“Our new flagship Snapdragon processor is designed to meet the demanding requirements of mobile virtual reality and ubiquitous connectivity while supporting a variety of thin and light mobile designs,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and president, QCT. “The Snapdragon 835 has an unprecedented level of technology integration that supports superior battery life, improved multimedia, and exceptional photography with gigabit class speeds for fast, immersive experiences.”

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 features:

• Kryo 280 CPU with four performance cores running at up to 2.45 GHz and four efficiency cores running up to 1.9GHz;
• an integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem with support for Category 16 LTE download speeds up to one gigabit per-second, and Category 13 LTE upload speeds up to 150 megabits per-second;
• integrated 2×2 11ac MU-MIMO with up to 50 percent reduction in size and up to 60 percent reduction in Wi-Fi power consumption, compared to the Snapdragon 820;
• 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, offering up to 4.6 gigabits per-second peak speed;
• the world’s first certified Bluetooth 5 commercial technology offering up to two megabits per-second speed and a suite of features that enable many new use cases. (Bluetooth, FM radio, Wi-Fi and RF offered through companion WCN3990 solution);
• Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan and DX12;
• Hexagon 682 DSP with HVX;
• Qualcomm All-Ways Aware™ technology with support for the Google Awareness API;
• dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz;
• Qualcomm Location with support for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS systems, which in combination with LTE/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity to provide “always-on” location and context awareness;
• up to 32 MP single and 16 MP dual-camera with Qualcomm Spectra 180 ISP, 2x ISP, 14-bit, hybrid autofocus (laser/contrast/structured light/dual-phase detection AF), Qualcomm® Clear Sight™, optical zoom, hardware accelerated face detection and HDR video recording;
• 4K Ultra HD video capture @ 30 fps, up to 4K Ultra HD video playback @ 60 fps, support for H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC);
• maximum On-Device and External Display Support including Ultra HD Premium™ ready, 4K @60fps, wide color gamut support, 10-bit color depth;
• Quick Charge 4 technology;
• the Snapdragon security platform including the Qualcomm® SecureMSM™ hardware and software and the Qualcomm Haven security suite;
• Qualcomm Aqstic™ WCD9341 audio codec combined with Snapdragon 835 supports an audiophile grade DAC with 32-bit/384kHz support with an SNR at 115dB and ultra-low -105dB THD+N and native DSD hi-fi audio playback. Additionally, the Snapdragon 835 supports Qualcomm® aptX™ and aptX HD Bluetooth audio with 2x improved power for wireless connectivity;
• manufactured on 10nm FinFET technology.

The Snapdragon 835 is in production now and is expected to ship in commercial devices in the first half of 2017. Please stop by Qualcomm Technologies’ CES booth #10948 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center to see live demos or visit our website for more information: www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people.  We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now, we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries including automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including our semiconductor business, QCT, and our mobile, automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare businesses.