Qualcomm aims for next-generation devices with latest Snapdragon

Qualcomm released its next-generation Snapdragon mobile platform on Wednesday with enhanced 5G connection, artificial intelligence computing, photography and security features.

The new features will be widely adopted in high-end Android phones in the near future as Qualcomm is the world's biggest mobile chip designer.

Chinese smartphone brands including Oppo, Honor, Xiaomi and ZTE, will release new models with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 as early as the end of this month.

"The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 sets the standard for the next generation of flagship mobile devices," Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of Qualcomm, said at the opening of the annual Snapdragon Tech Summit on Wednesday.

It delivers levels of connectivity, photography, AI, gaming, sound, and security experiences "never before available in a smartphone," said Qualcomm.

For example, the new Qualcomm mobile platform supports enhanced 5G connection supporting 10 Gigabit download; on-device AI, improved gaming features for "desktop-level gaming experiences" and a special security setup for personal information protection.

Almost all Android brands will adopt the new Snapdragon platform, including Black Shark, Honor, iQOO, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Redmi, Sharp, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE.

Besides Qualcomm, only Apple, Huawei, Samsung, MediaTek and Unisoc offer mobile chip platforms for smartphones. Qualcomm is the market leader in Android market.

Later this month, rival MediaTek will release a new chip platform.