Qualcomm today expanded its Snapdragon S4 class of mobile processors and the enhancement of its Snapdragon S1 solutions for entry-level smartphones.

The addition of new Snapdragon S4 processors, which are aimed at lowering design, engineering and inventory costs while bringing 3G and 4G Internet connection speeds, will allow OEMs to introduce S4-based devices with next-generation mobile architecture throughout their respective device roadmaps - from basic smartphones to high-end smartphones and tablets. The S4 processors are also optimized for use with a suite of software solutions available from Qualcomm that help enable OEMs to deliver feature sets for multimedia, connectivity, camera, display, security, power management, browsing and natural user interface design.

The Krait CPU is the next generation of Qualcomm's micro architecture and is purpose-built from the ground up for mobile performance and power management advantages. The Krait CPU is an essential part of the Snapdragon S4 class of processors. Today, Qualcomm announced several new S4 chipsets, including the MSM8660, MSM8260A, MSM8630, MSM8230, MSM8627, MSM8227, APQ8060A and APQ8030. These are additional chipsets to the previously announced MSM8960, MSM8930 and APQ8064. Snapdragon S4 MSM processors include Qualcomm's wireless modem technologies, including EV-DO, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, LTE FDD, LTE TDD and Wi-Fi standards. Devices based on Snapdragon S4 processors are expected to appear in early 2012.



The Snapdragon S1 product line offers an opportunity for market expansion and migration to 3G. To further this trend, Qualcomm also announced an upgrade to four of its existing Snapdragon S1 mobile processors. The MSM7225A, MSM7625A, MSM7227A and MSM7627A have been upgraded to deliver better performance for entry-level smartphone users.

Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are classified by the S1, S2, S3 and S4 generations of products. The S1 class is meant for entry-level smartphones; the S2 class for high-performance smartphones and tablets; the S3 class for multi-tasking and advanced gaming; and the S4 class for next-generation devices.