08/28, 6:59am
LG Optimus G stakes claim for smartphone crown
LG has made its latest Android flagship smartphone, the Optimus G, official. The Optimus G is the new leading Android smartphone on the market based on its specifications alone and is possibly the most advanced smartphone yet made. It’s 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064) with ‘Krait’ architecture is very similar to the Cortex-A15 architecture, but with performance that blows away the quad-core Exynos 4112 based on the older Cortex-A9 architecture used in the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S III.
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05/11, 8:02am
LG quad-core Snapdragon S4 Eclipse 4G LTE leaks out
An LG smartphone with the designation LS970 has been leaked courtesy of an anonymous Brief Mobile source. The ‘Eclipse 4G LTE’ is notable for its horsepower, which could make it most powerful smartphone on the market when it lands. Under the hood, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 ‘Krait’ quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz and paired with a generous 2GB of RAM.
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04/29, 6:55pm
Our look at HTC's 2012 Android 4 flagship phone
For HTC, 2011 was sometimes considered a write-off: what looked to be a promising year with an early 4G lead saw the company overwhelmed by Apple and Samsung, and even by its own at times confusing lineup with problematic phones like the Thunderbolt. The One series for 2012 is the reboot, a return to basics with an emphasis on high-end design and even stripping back the custom Sense interface layer. We'll determine in our review of the HTC One X in 4G LTE trim, and to some extent the Evo 4G LTE, whether HTC is back to being a fierce competitor for the iPhone and Galaxy roster.
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04/25, 1:00pm
HTC One series gets first US launch
T-Mobile as promised has started selling the HTC One S. The first HTC One series phone in the US comes only in Gradient Blue and costs $200 on a contract, albeit only after a $50 rebate. Buyers can opt for it $600 contract-free.
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04/23, 5:15pm
HTC One X with LTE gets our early test
Canada has slightly beaten the US to the punch and is getting the 4G LTE version of the HTC One X on Rogers ahead of AT&T's May 6 date. We have our test unit on hand and have been giving it an early shakedown in advance of a fuller review. Read ahead for our initial impressions.
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04/18, 12:00pm
HTC One X gets American launch plans
The AT&T version of the HTC One X received its official launch details on Wednesday. The LTE-equipped Android 4.0 hardware should be in stores on May 6 and will be priced aggressively for an LTE phone, at $200 on a contract. Pre-orders start April 22.
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03/31, 2:55pm
Qualcomm hopes ARM ultrabooks to take off
Qualcomm senior VP Rob Chandhok in discussion Friday made clear that the quad-core version of the Snapdragon S4 would be destined for Windows 8 notebooks. Confirming that ARM wouldn't be confined to tablets for Windows 8, Chandhok told IDG that he expected them to show up Intel's ultrabook concept with thinner designs and longer battery life. They would share the 28 nanometer process behind the dual-core versions, but the extra power would make them more viable for games and more complex apps as the software underwent an "maturation."
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03/29, 11:30am
New source has Evo One coming to Sprint on June 6
A new source speaking to Android Central maintains that the HTC One X smartphone variant that will be unveiled at a joint event with Sprint on April 4 will be called the Evo One. Other key information revealed by this latest, unnamed source includes a ship date of June 6 for the handset, which will also get a 4.7-inch, 720p LCD (not AMOLED as claimed). Powering it will reportedly be a dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor.
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03/25, 11:45pm
HTC One X using Snapdragon S4 tops charts
The same source as the original leak of the HTC One X for AT&T has since posted benchmarks showing it possibly taking the crown for the fastest Android device yet. Despite stepping down from the international version's quad-core Tegra 3 to the dual-core Snapdragon S4, the AT&T version was shown by Android Central forum contributor Phonegeek to be roughly twice as fast. Qualcomm's own Vellamo browser test showed the Android 4.0 phone mostly thriving in CPU-heavy JavaScript, a feat borne out by Quadrant's very high CPU and memory scores.
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03/01, 12:20am
WP8 may go to Snapdragon S4 chips
Microsoft's plans to go dual-core with Windows Phone could see it at least partly catch up in performance. A leak handed out to The Verge had Microsoft staff already testing early versions of a partner's Windows Phone 8 device leaning on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, or the MSM8960. "At least one" phone would have the combination sometime later in the year.
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12/16, 7:30pm
Chips will leverage both US and Russian satellites
Qualcomm has
planned to boost location detection of its mid-tier Snapdragon S2 and S3 mobile processors. Currently, the chips use the 24 satellite GPS network to get a fix on a device's location. It will soon be adding support for the 27-satellite GLONASS network Russia uses.
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11/16, 10:55am
Qualcomm S1 and S4 get eight new variants
Qualcomm on Wednesday put out a large-scale expansion of its Snapdragon S1 and S4 chips beyond just chips like the 2.5GHz APQ8064. A full 12 of the mobile processors are coming, eight of which are in the high-end S4 family. These higher-end chips will include the MSM8660A, MSM8260A, MSM8630, MSM8230, MSM8627, MSM8227, APQ8060A, and APQ8030.
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09/15, 6:50pm
Chips 2x faster than those used in today's phones
Qualcomm has confirmed that it is on target to deliver its next generation S4 series Snapdragon processors to its partners by the end of this year. The news was delivered by Qualcomm’s Senior Vice President of Product Management, Cristiano Amon, at the company's Innovation Qualcomm event, currently being held in Istanbul. The chips, running at speeds up to 2.5GHz, could show up in smartphones early next year, possibly in time for the world’s largest phone trade show, Mobile World Congress, in February.
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09/12, 9:35am
Qualcomm dual-core processor may be mystery cpu
The processor in the Samsung Galaxy II S for T-Mobile will not be Samsung's own Exynos chip. Samsung Telecommunications Marketing Manager Philip Berne says the the T-Mobile version will use a different dual-core processor than the 1.2GHz Exynos found in both the AT&T and Sprint versions of the handset. Industry watchers see the Tegra 2 as an unlikely choice for a flagship handset. Speculation is centering on a Qualcomm next-generation Snapdragon processor such as the 1.2GHz APQ8060, the chip that powers the discountinued HP Touchpad. The manufacturer says the APQ8060 is not only faster than the Tegra 2 but consumes 47 percent less power.
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08/03, 1:20pm
Will use 4-tier system to indicate SoC hierarchy
Qualcomm is simplifying how it names its Snapdragon system-on-a-chip products, from complex monikers such as MSM855T to S1, S2, S3 and S4. The company is doing this to help users better understand where to expect them and what performance they'll get. Qualcomm also confirmed that it will be shipping a quad-core Snapdragon processor later this year.
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07/21, 5:00pm
Qualcomm promises to ship Krait chips this year
During a third quarter earnings call, Qualcomm Executive VP Steven Mollenkopf revealed the company's first 28-nanometer device will go commercial at the end of the year, AndroidAndMe reported. The chip architecture, codenamed Krait, is most likely to show up in HTC hardware. More than one source told AndroidAndMe that prototype devices with Krait have been provided to Google.
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07/05, 7:40pm
Qualcomm Krait roadmap to 2013 outlined
A very detailed roadmap for Qualcomm's future Krait-era Snapdragons has leaked that explains much of the mobile chips' path. The MSM8960 due late this year will be the high end for the end of 2011 and run its dual cores up to 1.7GHz while supporting dual-channel 500MHz memory as well as LTE 4G and 21Mbps HSPA+ for 3G. As seen by MobileTechWorld, the chip and its Adreno 225 graphics would be enough to record 1080p video at full speed and snap 20-megapixel photos in 3D.
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06/15, 11:15am
Google Nexus 4G may use LTE, dual-core, 720p
Google's promised Nexus phone may be one of the most advanced phones ever when it ships this fall, according to a detailed rumor on Wednesday. Tentatively called the Nexus 4G, it would be a centerpiece for Ice Cream Sandwich's all-touch interface with a "monster-sized," 720p screen. It would also pack LTE-based 4G and could even be the first cross-carrier LTE device since it will follow after AT&T's LTE network launch.
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04/26, 3:40pm
Qualcomm Krait-based Snapdragon chips detailed
A leaked Qualcomm presentation has given clues as to its plans for its next-generation Snapdragon processors. The MSM8270, MSM8930, MSM8960, and APQ8064, all based on the future Krait architecture, are expected to be as much as five times faster than their predecessors in raw CPU power and four times faster in graphics with "console quality gaming." MobileTechWorld's example showed it supporting not just 1080p displays and 3D video but 7.1-channel Dolby Surround and up to a 20-megapixel camera should one exist.
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