Qualcomm Announces Six new Snapdragon 200 Series; Brings Dual Sim Support to Windows Phone

Till now Windows Phone’s processor choice has been limited to the Qualcomm family (by restrictions set by Microsoft); thankfully that family has opened up a bit with 6 new additions to the Snapdragon 200 range. The new chips come with HSPA+ support (not true LTE), and Adreno 302 graphics processor (the 720, 620 & 520 use the Adreno 305); the main feature however would be Dual Sim support, something that has been long missing in the Lumia range (and a reason that many potential customers have gone over to Samsung’s plethora of dual sim devices.  Hopefully we can see some decent dual sim phones, seeing as Nokia’s tradition is that dual sim = low end, which I find very wrong; I think a dual sim 820 would be great, maybe even a 925 or 920 no reason to shy from diversity and options in the high end right?

These new chipsets might make it possible for Nokia to dip the price-range of their Lumias below the already insane $130 for the Lumia 521; of course we don’t know what the actual performance is (hopefully not another Lumia 610).

So what do you guys think is lower better? Or should Nokia just stick with the tested and proven processors they have going for them right now?

Press Release:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has expanded its entry-level offerings with the addition of six new processors to its Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 200 class, featuring dual- and quad-core CPUs. The new Snapdragon 200 processors are manufactured on a 28nm process technology and feature key modem technologies that are important in China and emerging regions, including support for HSPA+ (up to 21Mbps) and TD-SCDMA. It is anticipated that the new processors (8×10 and 8×12), along with its Qualcomm Reference Design counterparts, will be available in late 2013 and are designed to deliver improved performance, graphics-rich gaming experience and advanced multimedia features for high-volume smartphones.

“With the expanded line of Snapdragon 200 processors, Qualcomm Technologies is building on its dual- and quad-core processor portfolio for entry-level smartphones and tablets, bringing key process technology and modem features to all Snapdragon tiers,” said Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are excited to offer our customers the broadest range of 3G technologies and superior performance and power-efficiency, enabling them to deliver a wide range of innovative smartphones for the high-volume segment.”

The expanded line of processors delivers an optimal balance of multimedia features and modem technologies with extended battery life. The processors will have support for dual cameras, with an 8 Megapixel rear-facing camera and up to a 5 Megapixel front-facing one, as well as feature a single platform for all SIM variants, including Dual SIM, Dual Standby, and Dual SIM, Dual Active, and Tri SIM Tri Standby. The latest additions to the Snapdragon 200 class also feature: class-leading graphics performance with Adreno 302 GPU; integrated industry-leading IZat Location functionality and support of Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0; support for the latest Android, Windows Phone and Firefox operating systems; RxD support; and a single, multimode modem enabling faster data rates, fewer dropped calls, and better connections.

Qualcomm Technologies also will be releasing Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) versions of the processors. The QRD program offers Qualcomm Technologies’ leading technical innovation, differentiated hardware and software, easy customization options, testing and acceptance readiness for regional operator requirements, and access to a broad ecosystem of hardware component vendors and software application developers. Under the QRD program, customers can rapidly deliver differentiated smartphones to budget-conscious consumers. There have been more than 250 public QRD-based product launches to date in collaboration with more than 40 OEMs in 17 countries.

Via

Thanks for the tip Viipottaja 😀

Category: Lumia, Nokia, Windows Phone