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Qualcomm Details Snapdragon 835 Processor (pcmag.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the finer-details dept.

Qualcomm has detailed the Snapdragon 835 processor, which will power most of the leading Android smartphones this year. It's designed to grab information from the air at gigabit speeds and turn it into rich virtual and augmented reality experiences, according to several executives at a pre-CES briefing. Qualcomm SVP Keith Kressin said, "The 835 is going to be one of the key devices that propels the VR use case." PC Magazine reports: The hardest thing to understand about the Snapdragon 835, especially if you're thinking from a desktop CPU space, is how much Qualcomm has been prioritizing elements of the system-on-chip other than the CPU. This has been coming for years, and it can be tricky because it relies on firmware and the Android OS to properly distribute work to non-CPU components of the chip. During the briefing, it was striking how little Qualcomm talked about its Kryo 280 CPU, as compared to other components. Qualcomm tries to counter that by pointing out that this is the first 10nm mobile processor, which will improve efficiency, and also by saying the CPU is "tightly integrated" with other components using the new Symphony system manager, which operates automatically yet can be customized by application developers. This distributes work across the CPU, GPU, DSP, and more exotic components, letting the Snapdragon 835 work better than it would with CPU alone. How that will combine with Qualcomm's recent announcement that it will support Windows 10 on mobile PCs, including legacy Win32 apps, is yet to be seen. The Snapdragon 835 consumes 25 percent less power than the 820, according to Qualcomm. That means seven hours of 4K streaming video and two hours of VR gaming on a typical device, the company said. These new uses are really power hungry. Since Qualcomm can only do so much on power efficiency, it's also introducing Quick Charge 4, which supposedly charges a phone to five hours of use in five minutes and is USB-C power delivery compliant. The new Adreno 540 graphics chip improves 3D performance by 25 percent over the previous generation, Qualcomm said. But it also enables features like HDR10, which improves colors; foveated rendering, which most clearly renders what you're looking at rather than elements in the periphery of a scene; and low latency, which allows you to move your head smoothly around VR scenes. With one 32MP or two 16MP cameras running at the same time, the Snapdragon 835 supports various dual-camera functions. The Snapdragon 835 will feature the X16 modem, which Qualcomm announced earlier this year and will be able to boost LTE to gigabit speeds. The keys to gigabit LTE are triple 20MHz carrier aggregation with 256-QAM encoding and 4x4 MIMO antennas, said Qualcomm's senior director of marketing, Peter Carson. That's going to be first introduced with a Netgear hotspot in Australia this January, but Sprint and T-Mobile have said they're trying to assemble this set of technologies.

42 comments

  1. Pi by freeasinrealale · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ooooh - cant wait for raspberry pi IV...

    --
    A man spends the first half of his life accumulating stuff, the second trying to get rid of it all.
    1. Re:Pi by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

      I think you've confused Qualcomm with Broadcom

    2. Re:Pi by freeasinrealale · · Score: 1

      No - I know Broadcom is Pi chip - just wanted to say cant wait for pi IV

      --
      A man spends the first half of his life accumulating stuff, the second trying to get rid of it all.
    3. Re: Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice try, but you failed.

    4. Re:Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No you didn't.

    5. Re:Pi by Desler · · Score: 1

      So out of nowhere you wanted to let everybody know that you're waiting for something that has neither been announced or exists? Riiiight.

    6. Re:Pi by freeasinrealale · · Score: 1

      That's what I like about Slashdot - you can get away with saying almost anything

      --
      A man spends the first half of his life accumulating stuff, the second trying to get rid of it all.
    7. Re:Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except we all knew you though Qualcomm was Broadcom. There'd be no other reason to mention the Rasp Pi otherwise. Just admit you made a mistake.

    8. Re:Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I for one can not wait for a new Rasp Pi...

    9. Re: Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't wait for the new Miley Cyrus album!

  2. senior director of marketing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I always want my tech specs from marketing execs because that way I know the info is trustworthy.

    1. Re:senior director of marketing by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Uh, they're the ones who write those specs: engineering and others do get to approve those, but typically, marketing has the last word

  3. Subject cuz it's required by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dang I'm getting sick of marketing speak:

    "Qualcomm has detailed the Snapdragon 835 processor, which will power most of the leading Android smartphones this year. It's designed to grab information from the air at gigabit speeds and turn it into rich virtual and augmented reality experiences, ".

    It's a processor. I certainly welcome advancement but it's a piece of silicon that does math problems. This one does them a little faster than the last one on a little less power. It ain't magic.

    --
    "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    1. Re: Subject cuz it's required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But I do have a magic option for you. All you need to do is spend 9.99$ to order a package of fairy dust that will speed up your computer a thousand fold if you sprinkle it on your computer.

    2. Re:Subject cuz it's required by sexconker · · Score: 1

      it's a piece of silicon that does math problems

      Really, it's just an expensive clock.

    3. Re:Subject cuz it's required by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      Dang I'm getting sick of marketing speak:

      "... It's designed to grab information from the air at gigabit speeds and turn it into rich virtual and augmented reality experiences, ".

      Wait, wait, you mean this CPU doesn't actually have a built-in robot arm that extends an antenna?! Next you're going to tell me that it can't even convert radio waves into an experience.

    4. Re:Subject cuz it's required by Neuronwelder · · Score: 2

      Thank you, sexconker! Ancient cars used to have controls with unique shapes and different types of control movement: The objective was to never take you eyes off the road while you drive, using your brain for tactile feedback.. I personally feel that the first person who makes a small phone with buttons will be very successful with the older crowd.. They like simple, get to the point, no frills stuff. Hey, if I want a computer, I got one at home. Also we have Libraries, Coffee houses, Restaurants that carry Wi-Fi, Hotels, and Colleges you can stop by. Call and make a list of Car Dealerships that carry Wi-Fi - they have waiting rooms.

    5. Re:Subject cuz it's required by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Ain't that every new CPU that's ever built? Why don't you simply work on a 1994 era Pentium?

    6. Re:Subject cuz it's required by Bitmanhome · · Score: 1

      True, but it's a bigger clock than last year's. People always want the biggest clock.

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      Not that this wasn't entirely predictable.
    7. Re: Subject cuz it's required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what she said. At least, that's what it sounded like.

    8. Re:Subject cuz it's required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are mistaken. This quote comes directly from lead engineer Harry Potter.

    9. Re:Subject cuz it's required by swillden · · Score: 2

      Dang I'm getting sick of marketing speak:

      "Qualcomm has detailed the Snapdragon 835 processor, which will power most of the leading Android smartphones this year. It's designed to grab information from the air at gigabit speeds and turn it into rich virtual and augmented reality experiences, ".

      It's a processor. I certainly welcome advancement but it's a piece of silicon that does math problems. This one does them a little faster than the last one on a little less power. It ain't magic.

      You should have kept reading.

      As the rest of the summary details, most of what's new about this SoC is related to boosting LTE speeds and improving graphics performance, not general computation. The marketingspeak is actually more informative than your abbreviated summary.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    10. Re:Subject cuz it's required by ilctoh · · Score: 1

      You don't understand, because you were not BORN MOBILE!

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      How many slashes would a slashdot dot, if a slashdot could dot slashes?
    11. Re:Subject cuz it's required by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      It ain't magic.

      I'm very disappointed now...

  4. All well and good by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 0
    But is it fireproof?

    Before marking this troll, look at that 7 hour charge in 5 minutes claim.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    1. Re:All well and good by Aighearach · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Nice try, but your ability to decode marketing shit is weak.

      First, the summary actually says enough charge for 5 hours use in 5 minutes, not 7 hours. Second, they talked about multimedia in sentences placed next to the one about charging, but they didn't actually say they were connected, so they're not. 5 hours of some type of use. What is the most common use for a smart phone? Idling and waiting for a call. So 5 hours of idle time in 5 minutes. But also they're talking about a CPU, not a complete device, so they probably mean that 5 minutes of charge would give you enough power for the CPU's part of that 5 hours of use. Then it doesn't even need to be idle for the numbers to work.

      Existing devices often can charge at 5V 2A. That's 0.8 watt hours. If the CPU runs at 1.8V, then that could give you over 50 mA continuous draw for 5 hours. Very reasonable; the much weaker microcontrollers I use in my products use much less than that. 50mA is about what I would expect for the CPU even if it is doing a lot of work; idling it might reasonably be much less than 1mA.

      Very reasonable, if you have fluent understanding of Horseshit. If you only speak English, of course, then it makes less sense than Greek would because at least Greek has the decency to use a different set of words than English. ;)

    2. Re:All well and good by Desler · · Score: 1

      But also they're talking about a CPU

      No, this is about a SoC.

    3. Re:All well and good by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      LOL *woosh*

      Same thing man. Clue up. I design circuits with this shit, I know what the difference is, and in this context, it is not different.

      An SoC is a CPU that has flash memory and some application-specific built-in code that is generally accessed through an API that disguises itself as a CPU register. But actually, all the CPUs have flash memory, it just isn't always accessible to the user. There is no actual difference in what technology is being used, or how it consumes power.

      The even funnier part is, what does the C in CPU stand for? OK, so if use an SoC as the main IC on a board with a bunch of other processors, (battery controller, USB controller, audio codec, GPS, etc) and I put the SoC in the middle, controlling the other devices, that makes it what? It makes it the Central Processing Unit. CPU might not mean whatever you thought it meant. ;)

    4. Re:All well and good by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

      Nice try, but your ability to decode marketing shit is weak.

      First, the summary actually says enough charge for 5 hours use in 5 minutes, not 7 hours.

      Address that, not your non sequitur idle current jeremiad.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re:All well and good by Aighearach · · Score: 0

      I did address that. You know it, too, because I quoted it. But why would you want me to increase my focus on your typo? It was rather harmless IMO.

      Also, that isn't what jeremiad means. It has to be sad or mournful for that, like a never-ending eulogy. My post was dismissive and flippant where not serious and technical, it wasn't at all mournful.

    6. Re:All well and good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      If you design circuits with this knowledge, you must be terrible at your job.

      A System-On-Chip is just that. Its the whole system. In this case, on the same piece of silicon is a CPU, a GPU, a DSP, a LTE modem, bluetooth, USB, audio, caches, a GPS receiver, Wireless LAN, and more. There's no CPU talking to different chips, they're all the same chip, thus making the "de-emphasis on the CPU" part make sense.

      You don't have to believe me. They have a really dumbed down picture that shows the various components of the SOC in TFA.

      And I have zero idea what you mean by an API that disguises itself as a CPU register, and this is a space I'm pretty familiar with. Are you talking about microcode? Special-purpose registers? Either way, sure it has them, but they're implementation details.

    7. Re:All well and good by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Awp, someone marked this troll. Guess you can safely charge these things up in seconds if you use a car battery.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re:All well and good by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      An SoC may or may not have each of the technologies you're worried about being able to include, and you learn what capabilities an IC has by reading its datasheet, not by worrying about if it the product listing had an SoC tag. It is not a meaningful term, it is a general term that improves rough sorting of a list of items but is not sufficient to tell anything about the product.

      Stop imagining what I might not know, you'll get farther by trying to know things yourself. This is basic shit, how can you possibly claim to assess what my abilities would be at something where you barely know what the words mean?

  5. WOW by Sqreater · · Score: 0

    I mean, like, WOW. My intro to the microprocessor was the 8085 in a course in the early 1980s. Just sayin.

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    E Proelio Veritas.
  6. Explosive VR by ruiner5000 · · Score: 1

    I'd like a hot running phone that I have to plug in to keep charged right at my eyeballs and in an enclosure. No thanks. I'll stick to real VR on PC. I rather not increase the risk of a battery going thermo on me.

    --
    ignorance is bliss. googlefiberatx.com
    1. Re: Explosive VR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stop being a pansy. Molten lithium splashed onto your eyeballs just makes you stronger. I know this because a meme told me that anything that doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

    2. Re:Explosive VR by aix+tom · · Score: 2

      Maybe thermal feedback is the next big thing after tactile feedback. They just have to synch the explosions on-screen to the explosion of the phone.

    3. Re:Explosive VR by fbobraga · · Score: 1

      mod parent up! (very informative post)

  7. A most wondrous contraption by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It grabs information from the air and propels a case! I've never seen a processor do that.