qualcomm

Mobile oddities: Delve into the stranger side of MWC

Imagine waking up, reaching for the tablet on your nightstand, and turning on your coffee maker from bed. You catch a few more winks before it alerts you that your hot java's ready. If Qualcomm's concept Wi-Fi coffee maker ever goes into production, your mornings may never be quite the same.

The coffee maker, however, is just one of many odd and unusual gadgets on display at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.… Read more

Qualcomm: We will solve 4G roaming problem this year

BARCELONA, Spain--The second half of this year will see phones in the shops that can work on 4G LTE networks in both Europe and the U.S., according to Roberto Di Pietro, a VP at Qualcomm in Europe.

That has the potential to solve a major problem with today's 4G phones -- although you can normally get a data connection in another country when you travel, it's 3G rather than 4G, as the phones bought in one country usually aren't compatible with the 4G frequencies used in the country you're traveling to.

Speaking to me at … Read more

DoubleTwist and Qualcomm to bring AirPlay-like streaming to Android

DoubleTwist, maker of the popular eponymous music player software, has teamed up with chip maker Qualcomm in an attempt to make wireless streaming easier for Android users. The fruit of their collaboration is dubbed MagicPlay, a new open-source wireless streaming platform that the two companies hope OEMs will integrate into present and future devices.

Built atop Qualcomm's already existing AllJoyn platform, DoubleTwist's MagicPlay can stream to wireless speakers, headphones, televisions, and other devices. Since MagicPlay is open-source, any number of devices or apps could potentially integrate its code and stream to hardware that has a Qualcomm chip and … Read more

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 200 and 400 mobile processors

Qualcomm today announced a pair of new mobile processors designed for entry-level and mid-range smartphones. Expected in handsets later this year, the Snapdragon 200 and 400 balance the high-end 600 and 800 processors introduced in January.

As the model number suggests, the Snapdragon 200 is the lower-tier processor that provides a balance of value and performance as well as improved battery life. Details include a quad-core ARM Cortex A5 with up to 1.4GHz per core, an Adreno 203 GPU, and support for HD video playback, dual SIM cards, and up to 8 megapixels in the camera.

The mid-range Snapdragon … Read more

Nvidia unveils first mobile processor with integrated LTE

Nvidia's big chance to expand into smartphones has arrived and it's called Tegra 4i.

The company today unveiled its new mobile chip that integrates its app processor and 4G LTE on the same piece of silicon. The processor, previously codenamed "Project Grey," includes 60 Nvidia GPU cores, a 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU based on ARM Holdings' R4 Cortex-A9 architecture, a fifth low-power CPU core, and a version of Nvidia's i500 LTE modem.

Nvidia expects Tegra 4i to appeal to smartphone makers and help it better address that key market. While the Santa Clara, Calif., … Read more

Qualcomm Quick Charge powers your device faster

Have you noticed that your new smartphone charges up quicker than your old one? You might want to thank Qualcomm and the Quick Charge 1.0 technology, which Qualcomm today announced is in more than 70 Snapdragon-based smartphones and tablets.

The rapid-charging technology can charge your phone up to 40 percent faster than previous generations, Qualcomm claims.

Where other models might take up to 4 hours to charge, a Quick Charge could accomplish the job in under 3 hours. As of today, there are more than 70 devices with support for Quick Charge 1.0, with more on the way.… Read more

Leak points to Android Key Lime Pie debut this spring

More delicious Android desserts could be just around the corner, according to some allegedly leaked Qualcomm roadmap slides that mention a springtime arrival for the Android "K-release" or "Key Lime Pie" a few times.

Qualcomm officials have apparently been racing around the Internet demanding that a handful of tech blogs take them down due to copyright issues and thereby suggesting that they're actually legit. (As I write, you can still view them here on Phone Arena via Android Police.)

If Android 5.0 does pop up in a delicious sweet and sour flavor between March … Read more

Smartphone growth slowing? Not according to Qualcomm

What smartphone market weakness?

Many questions have emerged about slowing growth in the global phone market, but chipmaker Qualcomm doesn't appear to be having any problems.

The San Diego company, which helped popularize the CDMA technology used in cell phones, today reported record results for its fiscal first quarter. It also boosted its expectations for fiscal 2013 revenue and earnings and provided a better-than-anticipated forecast for the current period.

Qualcomm Chief Executive Paul Jacobs noted that revenue, adjusted earnings, and chipset shipments all set records in the quarter ended Dec. 30. He attributed the results to "growing global … Read more

The next LG Optimus leaks

The next LG Optimus may have leaked!

This week Fortune debuted a list of the 100 best companies to work for. Google took the No. 1 spot while Microsoft checked in at No. 75. Wireless tech company Qualcomm took the 11 spot while chip manufacturer Intel showed up at 68.

Details of a high-powered version of LG's Optimus G have apparently leaked online. A slide sent to Engadget teases a new LG phone with a 5-inch 1080p display, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 32 GB of on-board storage. There's no word yet on which … Read more