Qualcomm Intros Dual Core Mobile Processors

Qualcomm announced Tuesday that it is shipping dual-core Snapdragon chipsets running at speeds of 1.2 GHz and 1.5 GHz.

The new Snapdragons will be capable of upping Web applications and multimedia performance including 1080p video encode/decode and support for 24-bit WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution displays. The latest chipsets integrate two Qualcomm cores and are aimed at a new generation of advanced smartphones, tablets, and smartbooks.

Earlier Snapdragon versions are embedded in the HTC Droid Incredible, the Motorola Droid, Google's NexusOne, and Sprint's EVO.

The third-generation, low-power Snapdragons are the MSM8260 for HSPA+ and the MSM8660 for HSPA+/CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. B, indicating that developers will be able to tailor handsets for multiple networks. For instance, T-Mobile is rolling out a new network using HSPA while Verizon Wireless uses EV-DO on its network.

"Qualcomm's first-generation Snapdragon chipsets set a new standard for advanced smartphones and smartbook devices and our second-generation solutions are already shipping in volume," said Steve Mollenkopf, the firm's executive VP, said in a statement. He added that customers are already designing products based on the new chipsets.

The Snapdragon cores also feature graphics processing units with 3-D/2-D acceleration engines for Open GLES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1 acceleration, as well as integrated low-power GPS technology.

In unveiling the new Snapdragons, Qualcomm traced the progress of the Snapdragon family, noting that the first generation Snapdragon -- the QSD8x50 -- featured a 1-GHz core. The second generation MSM8x55 and QSD8x50A have 1-GHz cores, but also multimedia optimizations and 1.3-GHz enhanced cores.