Android fans expect the phablet flagship Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to touchdown no later than August and soon afterwards the Google Nexus 2016 devices. Report said that the handsets will fire up thanks to an enhanced version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processing chip - called Snapdragon 821.
Following months of speculations, the giant chipmaker finally confirmed the impending arrival of the SD 821, which company said in largely a significant speed boost of its predecessor. According to 9to5Google, the SD 821 is 10 percent faster than the 820 and will power not only smartphones and tablets but also virtual reality or VR head gears.
Qualcomm also made clear that SD 821 is not designed to replace the SD 820. "This processor is not a replacement for that chip, but simply a newer, faster iteration," 9to5Google reported.
Its maker listed the new chip with clock speed of 2.5GHz that slightly overtakes the top-spin rate of the 820. The SD 8210 will also deliver the following feature upgrades to devices it will power: 600mbps X12 LTE, Ultra HD voice technology and Upload+ for faster speeds.
And despite the mobile processing= speed bump coming out of the box, the SD 821 will provide the same level of battery hours seen with the SD 820, Qualcomm said.
In a related report, AnandTech confirmed that the SD 821 will outpace the 820 not only in CPU but in GPU speed with the tech site saying that the maximum gain will be around 650MHz. The upgrade that the SD 821 is "can have a dramatic effect on performance and power," the report said.
Now rumors say that among the mobile devices to get a first taste of the new chip is the supersized Galaxy Note 7, which in numerous leaked specs is being painted as a powerhouse that will rely on the combo engine of SD 821 and up to 6GB of RAM. The Note 7 is touted as the first Android mobile flagship with desktop-class capabilities.
Speculations are also rife that the SD 821 will find its way to the Nexus 2016 series of devices. To date, three Stock Android handsets are expected from Google - two will come from HTC and are codenamed for now as Nexus Sailfish and Marlin.
Another model is said to be produced from China, courtesy of Huawei. It is widely seen as the 2016 version of the premium Nexus 6P, which Huawei made for Google last year.
Samsung is reported to issue the Galaxy Note 7 as early as August 2 with Android 7.0 Nougat rumored to be part of the deal. But it is the Google Nexus 2016 flagships that are confirmed to get the next Android first and release date is likely set between September and October.