What new bells and whistles might be coming to top-tier Android smartphones next year?

Qualcomm, whose mobile processors power some two billion handsets worldwide, gave a few hints this week at its annual Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii.

The San Diego company introduced technologies that deliver faster 5G and WiFi, crisper photos, always-on cameras and CD-quality "lossless" Bluetooth audio, among other things.

It also added a few surprises, including a standalone mobile gaming device and a revamped branding campaign that seeks to make the Snapdragon name as well-known as "Intel Inside."

Here are a few things to know about this week's event.

Gonzo gaming

There are 2.5 billion mobile gamers worldwide, and they spend a lot of money on their preferred entertainment. Qualcomm estimates the amount at US$90bil to US$120bil a year.

The company has long touted its sharp graphics and fast processing for gamers on smartphones. Now it's working with gaming hardware outfit Razer on a standalone, handheld gaming device. which includes a cooling fan for better performance.

Qualcomm isn't making any devices. It's simply providing a design template to enable electronics makers to more easily roll out gaming devices based on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon G3x Gaming Platform.

"Let's say you are connected to a 5G network, and you're doing multi-player gaming," said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of mobile, compute and infrastructure at Qualcomm. "That is when immersive audio is very important. The fan is very important because now you can push the envelope of performance to a higher level. You can attach to a TV. Fast charging capability is on there as well."

5G, cameras, AI and security

For smartphones, Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor can theoretically reach 10-gigabit per second download speeds - though that's unlikely in real life because of network congestion and other things. Still, it's faster than Qualcomm's earlier generations of 5G processors.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 also delivers the fastest version of WiFi, which reaches 3.7 gigabits per second.

Its artificial intelligence engines help power natural language processing, the scanning of documents to find specific things, enhanced photos and video, even analysis of vocal patterns for signs of asthma, depression or Covid-19.

The integrated image processor enables 8K High Dynamic Range video at 3.2 gigapixels per second, as well as always-on cameras for fast facial recognition to unlock the phone, and quick lockdown when the owner's face isn't present.

There are other enhanced security features, as well as graphics upgrades.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is expected to begin showing up in smartphones by the end of this year, with brands such as Honor, Motorola, OnePlus, Sony, Xiaomi and ZTE expected to use the platform.

Computers go mobile

Qualcomm has been making processors for Windows and Android laptops and notebooks for a while now. It touts its connectivity prowess, as well as power efficiency that delivers multi-day battery life. Still, it hasn't been able to make significant headway against Intel and AMD in the PC processor market.

This week, it expanded its portfolio of laptop and notebook processors targeting both higher performance Windows computers as well as more affordable Chromebooks.

The upgrades include fast 5G connectivity, enhanced camera, audio and device security, as well as artificial intelligence accelerators and multi-day battery life.

"The PC is really becoming a big communications device," said Katouzian. "We are collaborating on video conferencing. We are sharing files. We are talking to each other, so the camera, the audio, the connectivity associated with those things are increasing, and we are situated really well with our integrated solutions."

Branding

Snapdragon has been around for some time. In China and India, about 80% of people recognise the brand. But outside of Asia, Snapdragon is less known, with just over half of people recognising it.

Qualcomm aims to change that - in part because the emergence of faster, more reliable 5G networks is expected to drive mobile chips into many more devices beside smartphones. They include cars, virtual reality headsets, drones and security cameras, among others.

So, the company is moving to make the Snapdragon brand easier to grasp by talking more about what it enables and less about its technology pillars. It's targeting specific industries with specific Snapdragon-branded products - such as Snapdragon Ride for autos, Snapdragon Elite Gaming for video games and Snapdragon Sound for its audio technology.

"Snapdragon will be at the heart of more devices than ever before, and our brand needs a bigger tent - a longer playing field, so to speak -- to broaden its appeal while being true to its core, said Don McGuire, who was named Qualcomm's chief marketing officer in July.

A recent report from a venue trade publication claimed to have seen the Snapdragon name on a rendering of the new Aztec stadium. San Diego State University declined to confirm any naming rights deal, and Qualcomm had no comment.

 - TNS