Digital Trends Live: Day One highlights from the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit

By Todd Werkhoven December 4, 2019

Greg Nibler and Riley Winn are on-location in Maui, Hawaii, at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, where they take a look at all the hottest developments in the world of 5G. As the world heads toward the freedom, speed, and connectivity that a true 5G network will bring, Qualcomm is on the leading edge of innovation that will enable users all over the world to experience the reality of a true Internet of Things.

Nibler and Winn have compiled the best highlights from the first day of the summit and have boiled down the biggest news from the day with their Top 5 takeaways.

No. 1: The new chips

We get a first look at the new 765, 765G, and 865 Qualcomm chips. 5G technology won’t simply be in the latest phones from Xiaomi, Nokia, Motorola, and Oppo, but in the devices in our homes, cars, and more, and these new chips boast the processing power and speed it will take to live in a truly connected world.

No. 2: Global 5G partnerships

In order to have this connectivity, there has to be access. Qualcomm has teamed up with more than 325 partners in 109 counties in an effort to support 2.8 billion 5G connections by 2025.

No. 3: A boost in A.I. development

In addition to the expanded connectivity, 5G will enable an explosion of artificial intelligence capabilities. Because of the speed of communication and the number of devices that will be connected to the 5G network, A.I. will be able to process vast amounts of data incredibly quickly, creating a true Internet of Things.

No. 4: New sensors, better security

Qualcomm is also introducing the 3D Sonic Max sensor for fingerprint I.D. It’s 17% bigger, and allows for simultaneous two-finger reading, making devices that are more secure.

No. 5: That’s entertainment

Entertainment will also undergo a massive shift thanks to the connectivity of 5G. Musician Steve Aoki was on hand to discuss how augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality will all be part of his upcoming performances.

Join us tomorrow for more coverage on Day 2 of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, as we continue our coverage of all the innovations and announcements highlighting the future of 5G.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…

Mobile

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 and 4 Gen 1 chips are big deals for cheap phones

qualcomm snapdragon 6 gen 1 4 news new chips

Following in the footsteps of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Qualcomm has today introduced two low-end mobile processors that add the “Gen” naming mantra to the Snapdragon 400 and 600 series. Alongside a few notable upgrades in the camera and connectivity departments, Qualcomm's latest chips have a lot going for them.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
First in line is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, which takes over the mid-tier reins from the Snapdragon 695. Interestingly, this chip is based on the 4nm fabrication process, making it one of the first non-flagship mobile processors to rely on the 4nm die that offers better performance and higher energy efficiency. In comparison, Apple’s A15 Bionic inside the iPhone 13 series is based on TSMC’s 5nm process.

Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is the first chip in the series to bring computational HDR video capture chops to the table. It’s also the first in the family to get the new 7th Gen AI engine that brings a 3x performance uptake for AI and ML-based tasks. Motorola is among the first brands to embrace the new Qualcomm chip, while phones powered by it will hit the shelves early next year.

Mobile

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship chip is coming this November

1290537 autosave v1 2 qualcomm snapdragon 845

Qualcomm has announced the dates for the Snapdragon Summit 2022. As rumored, the event will take place earlier than its usual timeline in November. It will run from November 15 to November 17. At the Summit, Qualcomm will showcase its latest and greatest innovations for the year ahead, along with its flagship chipset. Last year, it was the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset that made headlines with the new naming scheme. As such, it's likely that Qualcomm will follow the line to name the next processor as Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The tech giant revealed the information on its official website with a brief clip. The video proclaims that its viewers should get ready for the next wave of tech at Qualcomm’s biggest showcase of the year. COVID-19 didn’t allow for in-person events in 2020, but just like last year, the Snapdragon Summit is returning to Hawaii for 2022. While we don’t have the lineup of the products expected at the event, it’s certain that we will see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Mobile

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip might actually save Android smartwatches

The Mobvoi TicWatch 3 Pro on someone's wrist.

Qualcomm has a new wearable chip for smartwatches. Actually, there are two of them. They're the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and W5+ Gen 1, and Qualcomm thinks they're the next big revolution in smartwatch chipsets.

Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 from 2018 was also supposed to supercharge Wear OS watches and take them to the next level. But beyond some fairly modest battery improvements, performance on the Wear 3100 left a lot to be desired. And 2020's Wear 4100 and Wear 4100+ chips weren't much better. Qualcomm again made some battery improvements and performance gains, but seldom few smartwatches actually adopted the 4100 platform. A handful of watches from Mobvoi and Fossil use a 4100-series chip, and that's about it. Samsung's Galaxy Watch lineup is using Exynos chips, and rumors even suggest Google's Pixel Watch will do the same.