Qualcomm creates dual-core Snapdragons

MOBILE CHIP DESIGNER Qualcomm has announced its first dual-core Snapdragon chip for smartphones and other mobile devices.

According to the company, its third generation Snapdragon chips have two application processor cores running at up to 1.2GHz.

The mobile chipsets have the catchy titles Mobile Station Modem MSM8260 and MSM8660. MSM8260 supports HSPA+ while the MSM8660 uses multi-mode HSPA+ and 1xEV-DO Rev B.

Both integrate GPS, a GPU with 2D and 3D acceleration engines for Open GL ES 2.0 and Open VG 1.1, 1080p video encoding and decoding, a dedicated low-power audio engine and support for a 24-bit WXGA 1,280 x 800 pixel display.

They will be aimed at high-end smartphones, tablets and smartbooks, and will go head to head with rival chips from Broadcom, Intel, Nvidia, Marvell and Texas Instruments.

Qualcomm says its Snapdragon chipsets are being used in more than 140 different devices including Acer's Liquid and Neotouch smartphones, Dell's Streak 5 Android tablet, HP's Compaq Airlife 100 smartbook and HTC's Droid Incredible and Nexus One smartphones. µ