Qualcomm revealed more details of its forthcoming Snapdragon 820 processor, slated to be housed in phones that are available in the first half of 2016. We already know the 820 will double device battery life, but what about the all-important connectivity that lets us download videos, upload photos and commune with the world around us?
According to Qualcomm, we're in for some sizeable boosts.
Wi-Fi and LTE
As for syncing up to networks, the Snapdragon 820 features an upgraded X12 LTE Modem, which Qualcomm says offers the most advanced LTE, Wi-Fi and LTE/Wi-Fi convergence technologies in a System on a Chip.
The Snapdragon 820 serves up tri-band Wi-Fi, one of the more exciting features of which lets up to three users connect simultaneously without comprising speeds for any of them.
For the first time, Qualcomm is extending support for LTE in unlicensed spectrum with the 820, allowing users to hop on licensed LTE or unlicensed (LTE-U) seamlessly. LTE-U isn't widely available, but if you're at the airport and your carrier is operating an LTE-U small cell there, for example, your Snapdragon 820-equipped phone could make use of it.
Finally, the new Snapdragon will bring smarter Wi-Fi calling. Instead of automatically switching from LTE to Wi-Fi, or vice versa, during a video call, the chip will take a read of the Wi-Fi link and congestion on the network. If the connection is strong and congestion light, the chip will switch to Wi-Fi calling. If it's weak and/or there's a lot of network congestion, the chip will keep you chatting via LTE.
According to a Qualcomm spokeswoman, the company addressed power-saving concerns as it upgraded the chip's connectivity options, though we'll have to see how battery life fairs when we start using Snapdragon 820-equipped phones next year.
Qualcomm also announced two new chips, the Snapdragon 617, out next month, and Snapdragon 430, replacing the Snapdragon 410, available to OEMs next year.
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