Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 Is Set To Be The Super-Powered Chip Of 2016

Qualcomm has revealed more details about the Snapdragon 820, the chip which is set to power the top phones of 2016.

At the 3G LTE Summit Hong Kong, the company revealed that the Snapdragon 820 will come with Qualcomm’s newly upgraded X12 LTE modem built in, giving it faster 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity speeds than any other chip on the market.

The Snapdragon 820 processor is forecast to appear in the first half on 2016, powering flagship devices from some of the leading Android and Windows Phone manufacturers.

Speedy

“The Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with X12 LTE modem is a new industry leader, offering highly differentiated features that put OEMs and carriers on the cutting edge, including the latest advances in LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity,” said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm.

“With technologies like 4K video, virtual reality and cognitive computing rapidly evolving, it’s important to provide consumers with the speed and bandwidth.”

The Snapdragon 820 will also include the third generation of its Quick Charge technology, also revealed at the show, which allows Snapdragon-powered phones to recharge faster than ever before. Quick Charge 3.0 includes a new algorithm that allows your device to determine exactly what power level to request at any point in time for optimum power transfer, while maximising efficiency.

The company says that Quick Charge 3.0 can charge a typical phone from zero to 80 percent in about 35 minutes – compared to conventional mobile devices without the tool that may typically require almost an hour and a half.

Qualcomm also announced the release of two new processors, the Snapdragon 430 and the Snapdragon 617, which it says offer advances in both multimedia and connectivity for mid-range mobile devices.

“As smartphones and tablets continue to spread to all corners of the globe, we recognize that users are becoming more discerning in what they want,” added Katouzian. “The introduction of these new processors is a clear indication that we are listening to the needs of our customers who want ever improving cameras, faster connectivity, and better battery life across all available price points.”

What do you know about the smartphones of 2015 so far? Try our quiz!