Two of its announcements stood out:

• The new Snapdragon 835 ARM chip that runs Android and Windows 10.
• TrueWireless technology and Active Noise Cancelling for Bluetooth Headsets and speakers – dubbed “hearables”.

The other releases are here. (all dated 4 January).

• Qualcomm Announces Gigabit-Class LTE for Next Generation Connected Vehicles
• Qualcomm Technologies Announces Enhancements to the Qualcomm Network with New IoT Connectivity Platform and Expanded Wi-Fi SON Features
• Verizon and Qualcomm Unveil Next Chapter of Growth for the Internet of Things
• Qualcomm Cutting-Edge Automotive Solutions Power Next Generation Infotainment for Volkswagen Vehicles
• Qualcomm, Ericsson and AT&T announce collaboration on 5G New Radio trials intended to accelerate wide-scale 5G deployments
• Consortium of Leading Automotive and Telecom Companies Host 3GPP Release 14 Cellular-V2X Technology Field Trial in Germany

Following is a brief overview of the two above.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with X16 LTE

It is the first using a 10nm FinFet and it is for smartphones, VR/AR head-mounted displays, IP cameras, tablets, mobile PCs, wearables and other devices running a variety of OSs including Android and Windows 10 with support for legacy Win32 apps.

• Battery life: 35% smaller and consumes 25% less power than the 820. Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 is up to 20% faster.
• Immersion: Next-generation virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) designs, and supports Daydream, Google's platform for high-quality, mobile VR. Up to 25% increase in 3D graphics rendering performance and support of up to 60 times more colours. Supports 4K Ultra HD premium (HDR10) video, wide colour gamut 10-bit displays, object and scene-based 3D audio, and outstanding VR/AR motion tracking that includes sensor fusion-based six degrees of freedom (6DoF)
• Capture: Still and video capture experience with smooth optical zoom capabilities, fast auto-focus technologies and HDR true-to-life colours with perceptual quantisation video encoding. At the core of the capture, experience is the Qualcomm Spectra 180 camera ISP, featuring dual 14-bit ISPs that will enable up to 32MP single or dual 16MP cameras for the ultimate photography and videography experience.
• Machine learning: Upgrades to the Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine software framework include support for Google's TensorFlow and enhancements to Hexagon DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtentions (HVX), including custom neural network-layer support, and power and performance on Snapdragon heterogeneous cores. OEMs and software developers using machine learning can now enable intelligent photography, strong security and privacy protection, smart automobiles and personal assistants, and responsive VR and AR.

The Snapdragon 835 features:

• Kryo 280 CPU with four performance cores running at up to 2.45 GHz and four efficiency cores running up to 1.9GHz.
• X16 LTE modem with support for Category 16 LTE download speeds up to one gigabit-per-second, and Category 13 LTE upload speeds up to 150 megabits-per-second.
• 2x2 11ac MU-MIMO with up to 50% reduction in size and up to 60% reduction in Wi-Fi power consumption.
• 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi, offering up to 4.6 gigabits-per-second peak speed.
• World's first certified Bluetooth 5 commercial technology offering up to two-megabits-per-second speed and a suite of features that enable many new use cases. (Bluetooth, FM radio, Wi-Fi and RF offered through companion WCN3990 solution).
• Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan and DX12.
• Hexagon 682 DSP with HVX.
• Qualcomm All-Ways Aware technology with support for the Google Awareness API.
• Dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz.
• Qualcomm Location with support for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS systems, which in combination with LTE/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity to provide "always-on" location and context awareness.
• Up to 32 MP single and 16 MP dual camera with Qualcomm Spectra 180 ISP, 2x ISP, 14-bit, hybrid autofocus (laser/contrast/structured light/dual-phase detection AF), Qualcomm Clear Sight, optical zoom, hardware accelerated face detection and HDR video recording.
• 4K Ultra HD video capture @ 30 fps, up to 4K Ultra HD video playback @ 60 fps, support for H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC).
• On-Device and External Display Support including Ultra HD Premium ready, 4K@60fps, wide colour gamut support, 10-bit colour depth.
• Quick Charge 4 technology.
• Snapdragon security platform including the Qualcomm SecureMSM hardware and software and the Qualcomm Haven security suite.
• Qualcomm Aqstic WCD9341 audio codec combined with Snapdragon 835 supports an audiophile grade DAC with 32-bit/384kHz support with an SNR at 115dB and ultra-low -105dB THD+N and native DSD hi-fi audio playback. Qualcomm aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth audio with 2x improved power for wireless connectivity.

ODG’s new R-8 and R-9 AR/VR smart glasses will be powered by the 835. Ralph Osterhout, founder and chief executive officer, of ODG, said. "This is so much bigger than just a device, it's about a whole new computing medium that will transform how we interact and discover information and engage with people and objects in the world around us. The Snapdragon 835 processor's superior performance and power efficiency allow us to accelerate along the path we've been striving towards for so long – in bringing a self-contained, lightweight and powerful head-worn computing device with stunning visual experiences to the consumer.”

R-8 brings mobile virtual computing to consumers. With greater than 40° FOV and HD resolution, consumers can access movies, sports, gaming, navigation and education experiences but on smart glasses that are lighter, smaller and sleeker than any other device in ODG's portfolio. R-8 offers the same private screen with the added dimension of AR, VR and Mixed Reality overlays.

R-9 is based on ODG's award-winning 50° FOV and 1080p Project Horizon platform and is a winner in three CES Innovation Award categories. Targeted to a variety of WFOV experiences from light enterprise to prosumer mobile media consumption, it is also a development platform for mobile AR/VR and smart glasses applications. Both devices benefit from advanced features within Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon VR SDK, such as hardware accelerated, visual-inertial odometry-based 6DOF motion tracking.

TrueWIreless and Noise Cancellation (NC) for Hearables

Qualcomm TrueWireless is a Stereo Headset Reference Design to meet growing demand in the headset and hearables markets for much smaller form factor, truly wireless devices – even between left and right earbuds.

It is based on CSRA63120 audio ROM device (CSR8675 SoC) which supports stereo Bluetooth headsets to function completely wire free and is ideal for manufacturers who wish to take advantage of growing consumer desire and wireless and NC earbuds, without deploying enormous design, validation and testing resources or acquiring deep radio frequency design expertise.

It uses Bluetooth 4.2 LE and has Qualcomm’s cVc noise cancellation technology.