Interview: The future of smartphones is 4K, 64-bit and 55MP cameras What does the future hold for our smartphones? Well according to chip maker Qualcomm the skys the limit as manufacturers succumb to consumers greed for bigger, better, more fantastical tech in their pocket. TechRadar spoke to Michelle Leyden Li, Qualcomms Senior Director of Marketing, about the developing technologies in the mobile field. Consumers never seem to be satisfied and people want more and more things on their devices, Li explained. People are using their phones more for movies, TV, video... its their own personal device and they want a beautiful experience. You say 4K Its this impossible dream of true satisfaction which is pushing manufacturers to develop 2K, and ultimately 4K displays for our smartphones. Weve already seen the first 2K toting smartphone sneak out in China in the form of the Vivo Xplay3S and theres a lot of talk surrounding 4K screens arriving on handsets as soon as 2014. With 4K comes a couple of obvious questions: do we need it, and isnt it going to kill battery life? Li doesnt seem to be concerned. The industry always seems to solve issues. The 4K screens will require a lot of power, but the industry always seems to rise to the challenge. With higher resolution screens comes the need for better batteries to ensure you still get a full days use from your smartphone on a single charge, and Li says its one of Qualcomms top priorities. Batteries and 64-bit Battery life is key. Its all about low power now and its critical you keep processors as low powered as possible. Consumers dont want to trade off performance for better battery life - they want the best of both worlds. Everyone has a different day of usage and were really focused on delivering the full feature set to customers. While Apple is lauding the 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5S, iPad Air and iPad mini 2, Qualcomm isnt getting too carried away with the PC level processor just yet. Were always looking at whats going on in the industry, and the timings of launches and adoption, Li explained. Currently were happy with our roadmap and the Snapdragon 800 chip. That chip can be found in the likes of the Galaxy Note 3, LG G2 and Xperia Z Ultra, and although Qualcomm is staying coy on 64-bit involvement you get the feeling it will enter the arena at some point in the not too distance future. Say cheese Li also noted that the firms 800 processor currently provides support for up to 55MP cameras as well as a software suit including HDR, object removal and zero shutter lag. The smartphone camera is huge, Li told us. People always want to have great pictures and dont want to carry camera as well as phone. Considering no phone is currently pushing Qualcomms chip to its full camera potential, it raises the question what the next generation of SoCs (system on chip) will offer us. The Nokia Lumia 1020 with its 41MP snapper suddenly doesnt seem so impressive now. Revealed: new features for the next generation smartphones
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 13:50:34 +0000
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