Qualcomm partners with Microsoft to power quad-core Windows RT 8.1 tablets

Windows RT 8.1 Snapdragon 800 Support
Windows RT 8.1 Snapdragon 800 Support

Qualcomm at the Computex 2013 trade show in Taipei on Tuesday announced that it has added support for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows RT 8.1 operating system to its high-end Snapdragon 800 processor. The quad-core chip features an integrated multimode 3G/4G LTE modem and supports speeds of up to 2.2GHz per core. The company promises a new wave of tablets, hybrids and notebooks that are “thin and fan-less, and deliver speedy performance with long lasting battery life.” Along with its four asynchronously clocked cores, the Snapdragon 800 chipset includes a new Adreno 330 graphics processor that is capable of supporting 4K resolution playback at 30 frames-per-second. Qualcomm’s press release follows below.

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Qualcomm Works with Microsoft to Offer Snapdragon 800 processors for Windows RT 8.1

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- Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors deliver high performance, low power and integrated 3G/4G LTE for next generation Windows RT 8.1 tablets, convertibles and notebooks -

TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has expanded its Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800 processors portfolio to include support for Microsoft Windows RT 8.1. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors feature an integrated multimode 3G/4G LTE modem and CPU speeds of up to 2.2 GHz per core. Other capabilities include USB 3.0 and support for Windows RT 8.1 features and services. Qualcomm Technologies and Microsoft will continue to work together on the next level of advanced mobile computing and Microsoft will offer a free software update to Windows RT 8.1. The free update will be available in the Windows Store later this year. Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors and Windows RT 8.1 are designed to enable OEMs to differentiate their newest products and offer outstanding mobile user experiences. New devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors and Windows RT 8.1 are expected to be available later this year.

Last year Microsoft Corp. reimagined and redesigned Windows, and, for the first time Windows ran on an ARM chip. The result of bringing Windows RT together with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors has enabled Qualcomm Technologies customers to build tablets, convertibles and notebooks that are thin and fan-less, and deliver speedy performance with long lasting battery life. At Computex Taipei 2013, Qualcomm Technologies is building on this innovation and collaboration with Microsoft by showing Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors running on an early version of Windows RT 8.1.

“Qualcomm Technologies is committed to the Windows ecosystem and we are excited to be supporting Windows RT 8.1 with our flagship Snapdragon 800 processors,” said Luis Pineda, senior vice president of product management, computing and consumer products at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our Snapdragon 800 processors offer the best combination of high performance, efficient power usage and LTE network support and will help enable greater flexibility and connectivity options to Microsoft and device manufacturers. Snapdragon 800 processors deliver significant performance improvements across the entire SoC along with support for new Windows RT 8.1 features and services.”

“We are excited to continue working with Qualcomm Technologies on the next iteration of Windows RT 8.1 with their new Snapdragon 800 processors,” said Mike Anguilo, Corporate Vice President, Planning and PC Ecosystem, Microsoft Corp. “The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors support our commitment to providing our customers with best-in-class capabilities. Our customers will now have the opportunity to leverage the numerous advantages of these new processors, including integrated 4G/LTE connectivity and outstanding device performance.”


This article was originally published on BGR.com