Qualcomm Does 2.5 GHz Quad-Core SoC in 2012

Qualcomm is expected to ship a 28-nm 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon to manufacturers by the end of 2011.

During its Innovation Qualcomm event in Istanbul, Qualcomm revealed a rather interesting roadmap that includes a 28-nm S4 Class Snapdragon SoC containing a quad-core 2.5 GHz CPU and a next-gen quad-core Adreno GPU. The chip also reportedly offers stereoscopic 3D support, 1080p HD, and 3G and LTE connectivity for "next-generation" devices.

In addition to the S4 Class Snapdragon, Qualcomm's roadmap also showcased three SoCs for this generation: one for the mass market, one for high performance smartphones and tablets, and one for multi-tasking and advanced gaming.

For starters, the 65-nm S1 Class single-core chip for the general audience sports a CPU clocked up to 1 GHz, up to the Adreno 200 GPU, and up to 3G HSPA.

However, the beefier 45-nm single-core chip for tablets and high-end phones provides a CPU clocked up to 1.4 GHz, the Adrena 205 GPU, and support for HSPA+, a 1024 x 768 screen resolution, 720p HD, dolby 5.1 and stereoscopic 3D. As for the 45-nm S3 Class chip, it will come in single and dual-core flavors clocked up to 1.5 GHz, feature the Adreno 220 GPU, and support 3G HSPA+, a 1440 x 900 resolution, 1080p HD, Dolby 5.1, and stereoscopic 3D.

According to Qualcomm, the top-of-the-line S4 Class chip will arrive in single, dual and quad-core variants. Overall the new processors are expected to reach manufacturers by the end of the year, and then into the hands of consumers during Q1 2012. This indicates that quad-core 2.5 GHz smartphones may be launched at Mobile World Congress 2012 in February.

And although the company is introducing quad-core SoCs clocked at 2.5 GHz, company CEO Paul Jacobs said overall performance is not all about speed. "It’s not about how many cores or how many gigabytes, it’s how well you can optimise the system," he said.

Was that a crack at Google's Android OS?