Qualcomm Launches Four New Processors for the IoT, Bundles Neural Coprocessors in All Models
Range-topping chips designed to deliver "extreme edge AI processing," the company claims, with cellular modem options available.
Qualcomm has announced a quartet of new processors, designed specifically for the Internet of Things (IoT) and covering "performance-intensive" and handheld use cases — with Wi-Fi 7 and 5G cellular connectivity options.
"Qualcomm Technologies is uniquely positioned to take the IoT ecosystem forward," claims Qualcomm's Dev Singh of the launch. "Our new solutions bring together the industry’s leading technologies across edge AI processing, innovative power efficiency, crystal-clear video, 5G connectivity, and more to fuel the next-generation of resilient, high-performing IoT applications."
The company's latest IoT-focused chips are split into two families. The QCS8550 and QCM8550 focus on "maximum compute power [and] extreme edge AI processing" for everything from the smart home to robotics and drone systems, while the QCS4490 and QCM4490 look towards battery-powered handheld devices with lower power requirements.
The QCS8550 and QCM8550 are based on Qualcomm's in-house Kryo CPU, which includes a single "Prime" Cortex-X3 high-performance core running at up to 3.36GHz, four lower-performance cores running at up to 2.8GHz, and three low-power cores running at up to 2GHz. There's support for up to 16GB of LPDDR5x memory on each of its four channels, a Qualcomm Adreno 740 graphics processor, a Hexagon Tensor Processor (HTP) neural network accelerator with vector and matrix extensions, a Spectra image signal processor (ISP) supporting up to three 36 megapixel or one 108 megapixel camera sensor at 30 frames per second, and a video processing unit designed for improved denoising and stabilization.
For connectivity the range-topping chips include a 5G cellular radio with millimeter-wave (mmWave) and sub-6GHz connectivity in the QCM8550 variant, while both models include Wi-Fi 7 2×2 MIMO and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. There's also a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver offering concurrent GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and NavIC reception, and a sensor fusion engine with Qualcomm's Sensor-Assisted Positioning 6.0 system.
The QCS4490 and QCM4490, meanwhile, are designed for lower-performance devices with a Kryo processor packing two Arm Cortex-A78 cores running at up to 2.4GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 2GHz. There's support for LPDDR4X or LPDDR5 memory, a lower-performance Adreno 613 processor, and less performant versions of the Spectra image processor and Hexagon NPU. Again, the QCM-prefixed variant includes a 5G cellular modem, though limited to sub-6GHz operation, while both models include Wi-Fi 6E but no integrated Bluetooth — with Bluetooth 5.2 supported through a "companion module."
All of the parts are designed for full compatibility with Qualcomm Aware, the edge-to-edge "developer-friendly" Internet of Things platform the company unveiled back in February in a shift towards diversification from its usual hardware focus.
"Qualcomm Aware is designed to support organizations across industries with a scalable, cost-effective, capital efficient investment solution that delivers an accelerated time to market, simplifies digital transformation, and delivers transformative insights needed to mitigate risk, make more informed business decisions, and navigate challenges across industries," Qualcomm's Jeff Torrance said at the time.
More information on the QCS8550/QCM8550 and QCS4490/QCM4490 are available on their respective product pages; pricing is available exclusively on application.