Called the Snapdragon 888, the 5G chip represents the top of Qualcomm’s line-up for mobile phone processors. Smartphones containing the chip, which include high-end Android phones from Xiaomi and LG, are due to be launched in the first quarter of next year.
It is the first time Samsung – which competes with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), which makes chips for Apple Inc’s iPhones – has made Qualcomm’s flagship chip on its new 5-nanometre process for smartphones. The South Korean firm won a contract for 5G chips from Qualcomm earlier this year.
According to Alex Katouzian, Qualcomm’s senior vice president of mobile, compute, and infrastructure, these new chips focus on improving common tasks when using smartphones.
Qualcomm said the chip can process 120 high-resolution photos per second, while a new artificial intelligence processor on the chip will let software select the best five shots and combine them into one final image.
Katouzian...