Qualcomm plan to integrate LTE modem into next-gen tablet chip

Qualcomm have announced plans for a more powerful and more efficient chip for the next-gen of tablets and smartphones.

The chip – known as the Snapdragon MSM8960 – will also integrate an LTE modem into its design.

Qualcomm vice president, Steve Mollenkopf described how the new architecture of the chip will increase performance levels five-fold on the current Snapdragon, whilst decreasing power consumption by three-quarters.

“Tablets and smartphones will require faster processors, graphics and modems as demand for data over networks grows,” he said. “The new chip couples faster CPUs with multimode 3G/4G LTE modems.”

The new chip could prove popular with manufacturers of gaming devices, as it is planned to support an HDMI output, allowing gaming on HD televisions as well as high-definition movie and TV streaming.

“It delivers console-quality graphics for rich on-device gaming and high-definition video,” Mollenkopf continued.

Qualcomm’s chip will face competition from Texas Instruments and Nvidia, who are both expected to release dual-core processors of their own in the first quarter of 2011.

However, the incorporation of an LTE modem into a single chip has turned heads and could give the new Snapdragon the edge on the competition.

More details about the chip are expected to emerge at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress show, commencing on February 14th.

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