SoC Qualcomm 205
Mobile phone in India. © iStock.
With its new SoC Qualcomm 205, presented at an event in New Delhi, the leader in chips for mobile phones has updated its entry-level processor for the first time in three years. The new, inexpensive chip brings LTE connectivity and 4G service to basic phones designed for sale in markets like India, Latin America and South-East Asia. It provides download speeds of up to 150 Mbps on 4G, 3G and 2G networks, a dual-core 1.1 GHz CPU, an Adreno 304 GPU, and dual-SIM support. The Adreno processor supports front and rear 3-megapixel cameras, a 480p VGA display running at 60 frames per second, and lets users stream videos. The 205 SoC is pin-compatible with Qualcomm Snapdragon 210/212, making life easier for builders. The phones that use this system will also have better autonomy, a bonus in areas where electricity supply is spotty. The first sets should be available during Q2. Also in the news, Qualcomm issued a press release saying that it no longer wants its processors to be called “processors”, but rather “platform”. We’ll try to keep that in mind.
⇨ The Verge, “Qualcomm’s new mobile platform brings 4G to feature phones.”
⇨ Techcrunch, “Qualcomm doesn’t want you to call its Snapdragon processors ‘processors’ anymore.”