Skip to main content

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

Greg Nibler and Riley Winn are on-location in Maui, Hawaii, for Day Two of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, where they take a look at the biggest announcements, news, and hottest developments from the world of 5G. As the world heads toward the freedom, speed, and connectivity that a true 5G network will bring, Qualcomm’s new chips are on the leading edge of 5G innovation that will enable users all over the world to experience the reality of a true Internet of Things. For the Top 5 takeaways from Day One, head here.

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

No. 1: Changing the way we store IDs

The expansion of 5G will change the way we store our personal identification, as Google and Qualcomm have announced a partnership that will allow you to store your driver’s license on your phone, safely and securely. As every aspect of our lives become interconnected, we use our phones for everything from payments to directions to schedules, so we’re not far off from the day where a 5G phone is the only thing in our pockets.

No. 2: 5G will break down communication barriers

With the speeds and processing that 5G is set to bring, communication barriers of all kinds are set to fall. 5G will allow for instant, simultaneous, cross-language translation between people, as showcased during the summit with a person speaking Mandarin having their speech translated in written form in both Mandarin and English with almost no latency. The A.I. not only transcribes what you say, but can read it back with your voice and speech pattern, which is important because much of language and communication depends on how you say something, not just what you say.

No. 3: Snapdragon will make social media better

Because of the processing of 5G devices and networks, social media cameras and filters will work with blazing speed. Facial-mapping, lenses, and more will work with speed and efficiency not before seen with older networks.

No. 4: 5G will make us better photographers

As cameras in phones have gotten better, we’ve all become better photographers. But the promise of 5G network and devices will exponentially change the way we take and share photographs. From phones with up to five cameras built in, to A.I. that can process the focusing, lenses, and images in real time, not to mention the explosion of 4K and 8K video, cameras and photography are about to enter a new golden age.

No. 5: Gaming will change forever

Cloud gaming and mobile gaming will also see major boosts with 5G. From Google Stadia to Fortnite, gaming that isn’t tethered to a console, but piped to our devices with 5G will level the playing field for gamers who don’t have the latest desktop gaming PC.

Cristiano Amon

Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm, Inc. discusses how 2020 is going to get a 5G kick in the pants, from increased stream speed for cloud gaming, to the way we interact online.

Steve Aoki

Nibler talks with Steve Aoki, DJ, producer, and writer, about how 5G is changing about the way he performs and connects with his fans.

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

Read more
Qualcomm’s latest 5G modem brings standalone mmWave, improved Sub-6 speeds to phones
Conceptual image of Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 chip witih additonal mmWave, AI, and RF modules.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X70 5G modem, announced earlier this year, is already picking up new features before it's even available in phones. In addition to the latest advancements in spectrum utilization and AI processing, Qualcomm is now adding what it calls "Smart Transmit 3.0" as well as standalone mmWave 5G capability and new Sub-6 5G carrier aggregation.
Smart Transmit 3.0

Qualcomm's Smart Transmit is a base-level set of features available in Qualcomm's chipsets that smartly manages the radios, power, network choices, and more to provide the best overall network experience. Version 3.0 is a simple evolution. For version 3.0, Smart Transmit now integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into the architecture. Why? Well, it's basically the last area Smart Transmit hasn't touched.

Read more
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Connect branding denotes superior Wi-Fi
Snapdragon Connect logo on an exploding digital landscape.

Qualcomm is introducing a new badge for manufacturers to ensure customers know when they’re buying a connected device that includes the best possible 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies.

Similar in concept to the famous Intel Inside stickers, Qualcomm envisions its new Snapdragon Connect branding appearing on everything from the latest smartphones and laptops to AR/VR headsets and even connected cars.

Read more