Fotos de Samsung La próxima computadora portátil, la Galaxy Book4 Edge, apareció recientemente en línea. Las filtraciones anteriores han insinuado qué tipo de hardware ejecutará, pero esta es la primera vez que tenemos una idea de cómo se verá el dispositivo. El primer conjunto proviene del sitio de noticias de tecnología. ganarfuturo Parecen ser imágenes de marketing. Según la publicación, habrá dos modelos en el lanzamiento: una computadora portátil básica de 14 pulgadas y una versión Pro de 16 pulgadas.
Lo interesante es que tienen una combinación de colores más clara en comparación con el resto de la línea Galaxy Book4. En el informe se lo denomina “Artic Blue” y viene con teclas grises. Los otros dispositivos son de un tono plateado más oscuro y tienen un teclado completamente negro. Manteniéndose fiel al apodo de 'Edge', el nuevo Galaxy Book4 parece mucho más delgado que sus homólogos, aunque no sabemos qué tan grande es. La filtración de WinFuture no incluía información sobre el tamaño de la computadora portátil.
(Crédito de la imagen: Win Future)
Como era de esperar, el diseño más delgado reduce la cantidad de puertos disponibles. La computadora portátil de 14 pulgadas tiene dos puertos USB, un puerto HDMI y un conector para auriculares. Las imágenes de la computadora portátil de 16 pulgadas muestran la misma matriz pero con la adición de un puerto USB-A y una ranura para tarjeta SD.
Especificaciones de hardware
Hay algunas similitudes entre la pareja. Se dice que ambos cuentan con pantallas AMOLED 3K. Cada uno tiene una ventilación de enfriamiento cerca de la parte inferior y un interruptor auxiliar para acceso instantáneo. microsoftinteligencia artificial. Es importante señalar que la fuente de WinFuture afirma que habrá una tercera variante del Galaxy Book4, pero no proporcionaron ninguna información al respecto.
(Crédito de la imagen: Win Future)
Otra serie de fotos El dúo Book4 Edge se encontró en el sitio web de la marca de certificación coreana y luego se publicó en el sitio de redes sociales coreano Naver. Muestra los modelos de 14 y 16 pulgadas con luz más natural, pero el color es diferente. No es azul. Más bien, es plateado con una apariencia más neutra. No hay información sobre cuándo se lanzará la computadora portátil. Samsung Está previsto que se celebre Galaxy Unpacked disponible el 10 de julio. En ese momento, pudimos ver las dos computadoras portátiles debutar junto con otros dispositivos Galaxy como Z Flip 6.
Se desconocen los precios de las computadoras portátiles. Aunque todo apunta a que será caro. WinFuture afirma que uno de los portátiles costará alrededor de 1.800 euros (unos 2.000 dólares/1.540 libras esterlinas).
Hardware potente
Las filtraciones antiguas han proporcionado una visión interesante del rendimiento del Galaxy Book4 Edge. A principios de marzoWinFuture afirmó que la computadora portátil funcionará con Qualcomm Snapdragon Corporación Intel Serie Core Ultra. Ha habido bastante revuelo en torno al Snapdragon Supera al chipset M3 de Apple Por un amplio margen. Es posible que Samsung finalmente tenga una computadora portátil que sea realmente capaz de ser un “asesino de MacBook”.
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Queda por ver si este es el caso o no. Las pruebas de Snapdragon X Elite se realizaron en un entorno cerrado y el producto final de Samsung puede funcionar de manera diferente. Por supuesto, tómate todo lo que leas aquí con cautela. Las cosas siempre pueden cambiar.
Se espera que Vivo Y200 Pro se lance pronto en India. El teléfono aún no se ha anunciado oficialmente, pero recientemente han surgido rumores en línea sobre él. Un informe ha compartido el rango de precios del supuesto teléfono inteligente, así como algunas de sus características clave. El teléfono también ha sido visto en varios sitios de certificación. Se espera que el Vivo Y200 Pro se una a la base Vivo Y200 Y el Vivo Y200eEstá disponible para su compra en India.
Se dice que el Vivo Y200 Pro tiene un precio inferior a Rs. 25.000 en India, según 91Mobiles un informe. Se afirma que es el teléfono con la pantalla curva 3D más delgada de su categoría. El informe agregó que es probable que el teléfono rumoreado funcione con el SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 695. El teléfono está diseñado para ofrecer una frecuencia de actualización de 120 Hz.
En el departamento de cámaras, se espera que el Vivo Y200 Pro incluya una cámara antivibración con soporte de estabilización óptica de imagen (OIS), así como actualizaciones para fotografía nocturna y retratos. recién existente El teléfono que figura en la Oficina de Estándares de la India (BIS) con el número de modelo V2401 indica un lanzamiento inminente en la India.
Sin embargo, a principios de marzo de este año, se presentó el Vivo Y200 Pro. observador En Google Play Console con el número de modelo V2303 asociado con Vivo V29e. El diseño y las especificaciones filtrados a través del listado sugieren que el Vivo Y200 Pro podría ser una versión renovada del Vivo V29e. Se dice que cuenta con 8 GB de RAM y viene con un sistema operativo basado en Android 14.
Vivo V29e Venir Con Snapdragon 695 SoC, una batería de 5000 mAh con soporte de carga rápida por cable de 44 W, una pantalla HD+ de 6,78 pulgadas y 120 Hz, un módulo de cámara trasera dual de 64 MP y una cámara para selfies de 50 MP. El teléfono se ofreció en los colores Tech Blue y Tech Red, a un precio de Rs. 26.999 y rupias. 28.999 para las opciones de 8GB + 128GB y 8GB + 256GB respectivamente.
¿Es iQoo Neo 7 Pro el mejor teléfono inteligente que puedes comprar por menos de Rs. ¿40.000 en la India? Hablamos del teléfono que la compañía lanzó recientemente y lo que ofrece en el último episodio de tropicalel podcast Gadgets 360 Orbital está disponible en. Spotify, jana, GeoSavin, Pódcast de Google, Pódcast de Apple, Música Amazonas Y dondequiera que obtengas tus podcasts.
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El último chipset Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 de Qualcomm con muchas capacidades de inteligencia artificial (IA) en el dispositivo Anunciar En marzo de este año. Ahora, Qualcomm ha confirmado la llegada del nuevo chipset octa-core de 4 nm a India. Próximo Poco F6 5G Será el primer teléfono inteligente del país en tener el SoC Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 bajo el capó. El teléfono Poco F-series se lanzará el 23 de mayo y se confirmará que saldrá a la venta a través de Flipkart.
Tanto Poco como Qualcomm el martes (14 de mayo) Cierto El Poco F6 5G será el primer teléfono inteligente con el chipset Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 en India. Otras marcas de teléfonos inteligentes como Motorola, Xiaomi y Realme ya han lanzado teléfonos inteligentes con el chipset Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 en mercados globales fuera de la India. el Realme GT Neo 6, Redmi Turbo 3, Motorola Edge 50 UltraEl iQoo Z9 Turbo Xiaomi ciudadano 4 Pro Se ejecuta en estos conjuntos de chips de 4 nm.
El SoC Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 es un chipset octa-core de 4 nm con un núcleo principal con una frecuencia de hasta 3,0 GHz, cuatro núcleos de rendimiento con una velocidad de reloj máxima de 2,8 GHz y tres núcleos de eficiencia con una frecuencia de 2,0 GHz. La GPU Adreno del chipset admite juegos HDR junto con trazado de rayos acelerado por hardware en tiempo real. Admite hasta 24 GB de memoria LPDDR5x de hasta 4200 MHz y almacenamiento UFS 4.0. Admite más de 30 modelos de IA generados en el dispositivo, incluidos Gemini Nano, Llama 2 y Baichuan-7B.
Poco anunció a principios de esta semana que el Poco F6 5G se lanzará en India el 23 de mayo a las 4:30 p.m. IST. Estará disponible para la venta a través de Flipkart. Se espera que llegue como un Redmi Turbo 3 renombrado emitido En China, en abril a un precio inicial de 1.999 CNY (unas 23.000 rupias).
Se espera que el Poco F6 5G sea un cambio de marca del Redmi Turbo 3. De ser cierto, vendrá con una pantalla OLED de 6,7 pulgadas con resolución de 1,5K (1220 x 2712 píxeles) y un módulo de cámara trasera dual con una Sony de 50MP. cámara. Sensor LYT-600, cámara ultra gran angular de 8 megapíxeles y cámara frontal de 20 megapíxeles. Puede llevar una batería de 5000 mAh con soporte para carga rápida de 90W.
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Of all the biggest missed opportunities in Microsoft’s rather long history of squandered chances, Windows on Arm is the one I’m saddest about – but that could soon change.
When Windows 10 on Arm was first being touted (the less said about the earlier Windows RT the better), the promise of a fully-fledged version of Windows running on Arm-based hardware usually found in smartphones and tablets (rather than the more common Intel and AMD hardware) was incredibly exciting.
We were told that Windows 10 on Arm would combine the power and flexibility of the best laptops with some of the best features of smartphones and tablets – particularly speedy boot times, fast resume, always-connected internet, and day-long battery life.
Unfortunately, the reality was quite different from those lofty promises. While battery lives of Windows 10 on Arm devices were certainly impressive for the time, performance was poor, especially considering that Windows 10 on Arm devices were also very expensive.
Worst of all, these devices could only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store (now known as the Microsoft Store), and those apps had to have Arm-compatible versions.
(Image credit: Microsoft / Dell)
Unfortunately, most Windows apps are designed for Intel and AMD hardware (also known as x64 architecture). This makes sense as the vast majority of Windows devices – especially during the Windows 10 years – was built on x64 hardware. So, many app developers didn’t see the point of making Arm-compatible versions, and this meant that not only were Windows 10 on Arm devices more expensive and less powerful than standard Windows 10 laptops, but they also couldn’t run a lot of the most popular applications – a fatal combination.
Poor sales of Windows on Arm devices inevitably followed, and that, in turn, meant app developers were less likely to port their products to Arm.
(Image credit: Yaaaaayy / Shutterstock)
Breaking the vicious cycle
Unfortunately, the lack of both apps and customers set off a vicious cycle that impacted the success of later Windows 11 on Arm devices.
However, there have been some exciting breakthroughs that could positively affect the fortunes of Windows 11 on Arm devices, and might finally allow them to reach their full potential.
The most important development has been the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips. Qualcomm is one of the biggest companies in the world, and while it might not have the kind of brand recognition that the likes of Intel and AMD have, its Arm-based chips have been powering millions of mobile devices around the world. The company has been a key partner of Microsoft’s when it comes to Windows on Arm devices and has applied its experience of making Arm chips for mobile devices to create more powerful chips for computing devices. While these haven’t always been successful, the latest generation promises some very exciting things.
This struck me as evidence that Qualcomm might have cracked two of the biggest issues with Windows on Arm devices. First, there’s the performance. While Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Snapdragon X Elite-powered device was playable, it won’t trouble the best gaming laptops – but the fact that it even ran at all is impressive. This bodes well for the day-to-day performance of Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops.
There’s also the important fact that there’s no Arm version of Baldur’s Gate 3 for Windows devices. This means that the game is using emulation to allow it to work on Arm hardware. This comes at a performance cost, which makes the playable state of the game on the Snapdragon X Elite even more impressive. It also shows that even demanding non-Arm applications can be made to work on Arm hardware without needing a native Arm version. This could pave the way for more programs coming to Windows on Arm – and it isn’t dependent on the developers making dedicated versions. This could address the issue of a lack of apps on Windows on Arm.
Alongside the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm also has Snapdragon X Plus, a more affordable chip that lowers the CPU core count (10 cores compared to the Elite’s 12) and lower speed (3.4GHz vs 3.8GHz). If the performance remains competitive (and early benchmark leaks suggest that it does), and the price is low enough, we could see Windows on Arm devices that aren’t overpriced and offer much better value for money – addressing yet another common criticism of Windows on Arm devices.
(Image credit: Apple)
The Apple effect
Before the launch of the Snapdragon X series, Windows on Arm was in a bad place. Things looked particularly grim as Microsoft’s old rival, Apple, was enjoying huge success and critical acclaim with its lineup of Macs powered by its M1 (and later M2 and M3) chips – which are built on Arm architecture.
While Windows on Arm struggled, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and co were proving that Arm-powered laptops weren’t just viable, they could be the future of computing. Offering the long battery lives and quick startups we’d been promised, Apple’s first generation of Mac and MacBooks that ran on the company’s Arm-based chips, rather than the Intel hardware of older models, were a hit. And, while the MacBook Air’s launch price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 wasn’t exactly cheap, it was a competitive price point. And with the M1 providing an excellent level of performance, the high price tag is far more justified.
The best thing about the M1 Apple Macs was a tool by Apple called Rosetta 2. This was an emulation layer that allowed almost all existing Mac apps to run on the new M1 hardware. This meant Mac users switching to an M1 device would be able to use pretty much all of their important apps and programs, even if M1 native apps were thin on the ground.
This was a canny move by Apple, as it meant that M1 products were a big success, and because of that, app developers started making versions of their products that could run on M1 hardware without the need for emulation – and could take full advantage of Apple’s chip.
When the M2 series of Macs and MacBooks came out, Rosetta 2 was still in use – but the number of times I’ve had to use it when using an M2 MacBook dropped significantly, as there was a growing library of M2 apps.
By the time the M3 chips rolled around late last year, the number of times I (and other users) had to rely on Rosetta 2 was even rarer. Very few bits of software can be considered a success if fewer people need to use it, but that’s exactly what happened here. Rosetta 2 allowed Mac owners to switch to Arm-based Macs with ease, while also giving app developers the time to develop native apps. And the more people that switched to Arm Macs, the more attractive it became for app developers to port their apps to the platform.
(Image credit: Accogliente Design / Shutterstock)
It’s now up to Microsoft
So, Apple proved that Arm-based laptops can be successful, and Qualcomm looks like it could have addressed many of the hardware issues. Does this mean the next generation of Windows on Arm devices will be a slam dunk?
Sadly, that’s not a guarantee just yet as there’s one company that needs to pull its weight to give Windows on Arm devices their best chance of success: Microsoft.
While it’s obvious that Microsoft would want Windows on Arm to succeed, the way it’s handled previous generations has been frustrating. The fact that there’s never been a tool similar to Rosetta 2 that would make running non-Arm apps run easily is particularly annoying.
Now, I’m sure this is due to it being a very complex job. After all, Windows devices are made by various manufacturers that use components from different companies, which leads to a potentially limitless range of Windows PC configurations. Macs, on the other hand, have much more limited configurations, with the hardware mainly being built by Apple.
However, the lack of apps is perhaps the biggest hurdle still standing for Windows on Arm, especially when there are Macs out there that can run a much wider range of apps. And, this is a problem that should be in Microsoft’s powers to do something about.
Microsoft does have tools for getting non-Arm software running on Arm hardware using emulation, but it hasn’t taken off in the same way, mainly because it’s not as easy to use and doesn’t work quite as well, with some apps still refusing to run.
If Microsoft can’t come up with a Rosetta 2-beating solution, then it needs to do more work convincing app developers to port their software to Arm. This might be a difficult feat, especially when the user base is so low, but Microsoft is a very successful company with plenty of resources. It could provide financial incentives, or offer developers and tools to help port the biggest apps.
Microsoft is also a hardware company, and its past attempts to create Windows on Arm devices suffered from the problems that have become all too familiar. The Surface Pro X, for example, came with Microsoft’s SQ1 Arm-based chip, made in conjunction with Qualcomm. It was also overpriced and didn’t perform well.
However, if these devices come out with unappealing price tags, poor performance, and a continued lack of app support, then it could be the end of the Windows on Arm dream. After all, if Microsoft itself can’t make a success of it, what hope do other companies have?
Qualcomm continues to challenge both Intel and Apple in the processor market, as the tech giant claims the mid-range model of its Snapdragon X series of chips outruns the M3 in performance.
It’s a bold statement that could put its chips squarely in the running for the best processors you can get in a laptop, but does it really hold water? And what would that mean for its competitors?
Qualcomm recently announced a new lower-end model of its next laptop-grade SoC, the Snapdragon X Plus, which shares similarities with its flagship Snapdragon X Elite. There are a few key differences, however.
The 4-nanometer process Snapdragon X Plus features 10 cores and is missing the dual-core boost found on the Snapdragon X Elite. The GPU performance has also been pulled back from the Elite’s 4.6 teraflops to 3.8 teraflops.
According to Qualcomm’s benchmarks for the Snapdragon X Plus, which runs at 3.4Ghz with 42MB of total cache, its performance matches the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H while still outperforming it on power efficiency by a claimed 54%. It also claims a 10% performance margin over Apple’s M3 processor, another large boast.
While it’s definitely important to take all these claims with a grain of salt since they come from Qualcomm and we haven’t tested any of this ourselves, if any of them turn out to be true, this could be serious news for both Intel and Apple — especially the former.
Snapdragon X Plus could be a game changer
The 10% claim concerning Apple’s M3 is a bit on the low side, but even if the Snapdragon X Plus turns out to be as or nearly as good as the M3 and not superior, that’s still major competition. Intel’s CPU market share as of 2024 is 75% for laptops and 64% for desktop PCs, a massive hold compared to AMD and Apple.
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However, one of Intel’s current issues is the decreased battery life in its laptops. A Qualcomm chip netting performance levels around the incredibly powerful M3 while maintaining its current standard of battery life of around 20 hours would absolutely be an Intel killer and a major Apple challenger. We could be looking at a chip that could and probably would threaten Intel’s market hold.
This is further demonstrated by a new report that asserts the Surface Pro 10 will be outfitted with the Snapdragon X Plus. The Pro 10 is already set to be of higher quality with a brighter OLED screen and boosted front-facing webcam (including AI capabilities) as well as a Qualcomm chip that features superior performance and better battery life.
There’s also the fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 was playable — and played well — on the Snapdragon X Elite through emulation, which is even more impressive considering the technical issues in the past due to compatibility with Windows on Arm (WoA). If Qualcomm can achieve this with other AAA titles, Apple should be worried about its M3 MacBook gaming ambitions.
It remains to be seen how accurate Qualcomm’s benchmark boasts are in the long run, but if it’s close to what it claims, we could see a major shift in the laptop market away from Intel, and that level of emerging competition is always good for the consumer.
Snapdragon X Plus will be used in more affordable Windows laptops
The Snapdragon X Plus is a 4nm chip with a 10-core CPU and uses the same Oryon CPU cores used in the Snapdragon X Elite. It will be used in more affordable laptops running Windows OS. Its CPU is clocked at 3.4GHz instead of 3.8GHz on the Snapdragon X Elite. It could be equivalent to the Intel Core Ultra 7 series. According to Qualcomm’s product specifications, the Snapdragon X Plus’ integrated Adreno GPU has 3.8 TFLOPS of power.
One thing that hasn’t been downgraded in the Snapdragon X Plus is its NPU, which still offers 45 TOPS of performance for on-device AI inferencing, similar to the Snapdragon X Elite. This qualifies the chip as an AI chip as per Microsoft Copilot’s minimum requirement of 40 TOPS.
Coming to the chip’s power efficiency, Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon X Plus offers 10% faster CPU performance than Apple’s M3 chip when running at the same power. Compared to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, the Snapdragon chip is claimed to be 37% faster at the same wattage. This chip is expected to appear in laptops launched in the second half of this year.
Galaxy Book 4 series laptop may use Snapdragon X Plus chip
In the past, Samsung has used Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line and mid-range Snapdragon chips in its ARM laptops. Since it has already been revealed that the Galaxy Book 4 Edge will use the Snapdragon X Elite, it is possible that Samsung could launch a more affordable Galaxy Book 4 series laptop with the Snapdragon X Plus.
Last fall, Qualcomm revealed a major upgrade for its laptop chips with the And while we’re still waiting for those processors to make their way into retail devices, today Qualcomm is expanding the line with the Snapdragon X Plus, which I had a chance to test out ahead of its arrival on gadgets later this year.
Similar to the X Elite, the X Plus is based on the same 4nm process and Arm-based as its sibling. The difference is that the new chip is meant to be used in slightly more affordable mainstream laptops, and as such it only has 10 CPU cores (vs 12 for the X Elite) and reduced clock speeds (3.4Ghz vs 3.8Ghz for the X Elite). This positioning is a lot like what Qualcomm’s rivals have been doing for a while, with the X Elite serving as the flagship chip (like Intel’s Core Ultra 9 series) and the X Plus sitting just below that (which would be equivalent to the Core Ultra 7 line).
Qualcomm
However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that just like the X Elite, the X Plus’ Hexagon NPU puts out the same 45 TOPS of machine learning performance. This is particularly notable as Microsoft that laptops would require at least 40 TOPS in order to run various elements of its Copilot AI service on-device. Qualcomm is also making some big claims regarding power efficiency, with the X Plus chip said to deliver 37 percent faster CPU performance compared to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H when both chips are running at the same wattage. And when put up against other Arm-based chips, Qualcomm says the X Plus is 10 percent faster than Apple’s M3 processor in multi-threaded CPU tasks.
Photo by Sam Rutherford
Unfortunately, the X Plus is not expected to show up in retail devices until sometime in the second half of 2024. That said, at a hands-on event, I was able to run a few benchmarks on some early Qualcomm-built reference devices. And to my pleasant surprise, the X Plus performed as expected with multi-core scores in Geekbench of 12,905 and multi-thread performance in Cinebench 2024 of 852. (Note: Because the processor has not been released yet, there’s an error in Cinebench that results in the chip’s GPU incorrectly being listed as from the X Elite instead of the X Plus.)
This is a promising showing for Qualcomm’s second and less expensive chip featuring its Oryon architecture. Though as always, the real test will come when the X Plus starts showing up in proper retail hardware. That’s because even if it boasts impressive benchmark figures, these processors will still need to play nicely with Windows, which has not had nearly as smooth a transition to Arm-based silicon as Apple’s macOS.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
But with renewed support for Windows on Snapdragon PCs and Qualcomm recently working with major players like Google to bring “” in Chrome for devices running its laptop chips, things may be smoother this time.
Samsung has announced that it worked with Qualcomm to improve data transfer speeds on 5G cellular networks. The companies have used 3GPP Release 17’s new 1024 QAM feature to improve 5G speeds by up to 20%, bringing faster download speeds on smartphones.
Samsung and Qualcomm achieve fastest ever 5G download speeds with 20MHz bandwidth
As a part of this collaboration, the companies used Samsung Network’s 5G vRAN equipment running on 2.1GHz (FDD) and 3.5GHz (TDD) and a test smartphone using Qualcomm’s X75 5G modem. They achieved download speeds of 485Mbps with a 20MHz bandwidth. This is 20% faster than 256 QAM that is usually used on 5G networks. It is near theoretical download speed.
This is the first time these speeds have been achieved on an FDD band. Since this test was done on a single 20MHz band, a lot more speed can be achieved as most modern phones can combine several bands together through CA (Carrier Aggregation). The companies are also testing this technology on a network with traditional RAN equipment.
This technology is expected to be commercially available for network operators by the end of this year. Last year, Qualcomm and Samsung tested 4x downlink and 2x uplink carrier aggregation on FDD spectrum. Samsung Networks is among the world’s biggest cellular network equipment manufacturer, and it develops 5G Core, 5G vRAN, and AI-powered automation tools.
Samsung Networks VP Ji-Yun Seol, said, “We believe enhancing spectral efficiency is essential in developing next-generation solutions. This achievement underscores Samsung’s ongoing commitment to push forward the frontiers of mobile technology. Our collaborative efforts with Qualcomm Technologies have once again yielded impressive results, and we look forward to harnessing our combined expertise to drive network innovation.“
Our sister site Tom’s Hardware got the chance to try out a bunch of laptops that have the new ARM-based chip, while listening to claims from Qualcomm about how the Snapdragon X Elite will outgun both Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) laptop CPUs and Apple’s M3 silicon (which is a rival ARM part).
According to Qualcomm’s testing – add a little seasoning as always with internal benchmarks, not that they’d be faked, of course, but they’re inevitably cherry-picked to present hardware in the best light – the Snapdragon X Elite easily beats Apple’s M3 SoC in Geekbench 6. In multi-threaded testing, the Snapdragon was close to 30% faster than the M3, in fact – although Qualcomm did not provide a single-threaded comparison.
Even more eye-opening was the race against Intel, which pretty much saw Team Blue eating Qualcomm’s dust. The Snapdragon X Elite proved 52% quicker in multi-threaded performance, and 54% faster than the Core Ultra 7 155H for single-threaded performance. That’s when both chips have the same power usage – alternatively, the Elite could match the 155H performance-wise while using 60% or 65% less power (for multi- and single-threaded respectively).
Turning to integrated graphics, the Snapdragon X Elite is apparently up to 36% faster than Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H, although note the ‘up to’ and that this is a vague assertion (we’re not told what the benchmarking involved). That’s what we mean about cherry-picking, and in the case of integrated graphics, Qualcomm didn’t draw any comparison with the Apple M3 (or faster Intel silicon such as the Core Ultra 9).
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Gaming goodness
On the gaming front, we also have the hands-on experience of Digital Trends to draw on. The site found that on one of Qualcomm’s reference laptops, the Snapdragon X Elite was able to run Control fairly smoothly at 35 frames per second (at 1080p, with low to medium graphics settings). With the same settings, Baldur’s Gate 3 ran at 30 fps on average.
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Those are pretty impressive results for contemporary games running under emulation (as it’s an ARM chip, remember, not x86).
One of the big hopes for Windows on ARM devices is that emulating software and games (that can’t be run natively as they’re x86) will reach a level where it’s more than palatable, and the Snapdragon X Elite seems to be a good step forward in that direction.
Qualcomm has been busy. But then again, when is it ever idle? Today (March 25) the company famous for its wireless solutions, software, and semiconductors has introduced two next-generation Snapdragon Sound offerings to improve the audio experience not just at the premium end of the market, but also to mid-tier earbuds (and possibly even the best budget wireless earbuds), headphones and speakers – namely, the S5 Gen 3 and S3 Gen 3 Sound platforms.
The big headlines? Let’s start with the more premium S5 Gen 3, which promises “almost 50x more AI power” (more on this later), a better digital-to-analog converter with improved signal-to-noise ratio and a 40% lower noise floor (to boast 24-bit/48kHz better-than-CD-quality sound using the more efficient Bluetooth LE Audio), and Qualcomm’s 4th-generation adaptive active noise cancellation.
S5 Gen 3 also boasts 50% more memory than the Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform it succeeds and, says Qualcomm, “dedicated cores for audio curation, including hearing loss compensation, ANC, transparency and noise management”. Yes, we’re looking at a future where your listening gear will not only support Auracast audio sharing (using Bluetooth 5.4), but can then tailor said broadcast to various degrees of hearing loss with ultra-low latency, in real-time.
What of that heavy uptick in AI capabilities? John Turner, Qualcomm’s Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies International, told me it’s hard to give precise user-case improvements because that’ll largely depend on what manufacturers want their products to do (Qualcomm offers solutions, engineers get to work harnessing them), but aside from the plethora of noise cancellation filters it affords, “A big advancement we’ve spoken about is getting on-device microphones to intelligently hear your voice in the office, not the voices of those around you”.
It’s something I’d truly love from my earbuds.
Plenty to get excited about in the mid-tier arena, as well as in high-end headphones (Image credit: Qualcomm)
Entry-level headphones are set to get a lot better too
On to Qualcomm’s S3 Gen 3 proposition and here in the mid-tier arena, the firm has added support for its own Qualcomm Voice & Music Extension Program, which has been around for some time within its S5 tier but is now being made available at S3 level – for the first time.
What does this mean for buyers on a budget? Developers will be able to add perks such as fit- and hearing tests, spatial audio solutions, heart-rate monitoring, and other health-tracking options within more affordable earbuds and wireless headphones, that’s what.
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Furthermore, we know that this particular S3 Gen 3 platform will initially be adopted by Vivo with announcements on incoming devices expected in the next couple of weeks. It’s a company whose smartphones have received extensive coverage from TechRadar, but its (very affordable) earbuds haven’t – yet…
Since launching its premium Snapdragon Sound S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 platforms last October, Qualcomm tells us its extensive customer research has proven that 69% of buyers are willing to spend more to get better quality audio, 70% actively want lossless audio, 73% of customers make sure they’re getting better audio every time they buy, and – perhaps most interestingly – 68% of people want to use the same product for every use case scenario. Could this be the end to the best running headphones, when the very best wireless earbuds should be good enough for the job thank you very much? Quite possibly – because if even your most affordable earbuds can monitor your health, why would you need another pair?
