Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors make our lives easier

MANILA, Philippines—The first computer processors developed during the 1940s took up an entire room and consumed large amounts of power. Now, the same, or even greater, equivalent of computer processor could be found in a microchip the size of a fingernail.

It is these micro computers that are now the brains of many gadgets we use in our lives, namely smart phones and tablet computers. These mobile gadgets depend greatly on the capabilities of the micro computers to run the operating system, programs, and other features such as gaming, and video and photo capturing.

With mobile devices in mind, Qualcomm, an international wireless telecommunications developer, has created a microcomputer processor that fully integrates all the essential hardware needed by mobile devices.

Unlike a personal desktop computer that is made up of multiple hardware components, Qualcomm has developed the Snapdragon class of processors that is integrated with all the hardware components of a personal computer in just one microchip.

The Snapdragon processor integrates the Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), 3G Mobile broadband modem and other connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS to produce a highly efficient and compact hardware computing platform.

This allows the Snapdragon processor to fit inside a smaller device while at the same time decreasing its power consumption and increasing its battery life.

Mantosh Malhotra, Qualcomm Regional Head for Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore, showed in a presentation held in the New World Hotel in Makati, Wednesday the advantages of the Snapdragon class integrated processor.

The first to use 28 nanometer process technology, Snapdragon is 10 to 20 percent smaller. This also makes the chip 10 to 20 percent cheaper to make, he said.

Because it is fully integrated, its power efficient is 35 percent better translating to longer battery life for the mobile device. Also, this makes it easier for mobile device manufacturers to use the processor since it is an all-in-one processor, he added.

The Snapdragon processor is already used by numerous manufacturers namely, Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Sony Ericsson, Dell, LG Electronics, Samsung, Toshiba, among others.

Among phone manufacturers, Cherry mobile is already using the Snapdragon processor according to Malhotra.

Qualcomm is already in the development stages of its fourth Snapdragon processor set to be released at the end of 2011.

With the fully integrated Snapdragon processor making its way into mobile devices, consumers now have greater power in the palm of their hand to connect and create.