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Qualcomm's S4 chip set to shrink laptops further
Ultrabooks aren't light enough, apparently
Qualcomm is readying its own quad-core Snapdragon S4 chips for super lightweight laptops, which will go head to head with Intel's next batch of Ultrabooks due later this year.
Qualcomm reckons the new S4 chips will go into laptops skinnier than than the MacBook Airs and Ultrabooks currently found on the market, IDG News reports.
"We think much lighter than what Intel calls an Ultrabook," said Rob Chandhok, a senior VP at Qualcomm. The S4 chip will pave the way for smaller thinner with higher-res displays, longer battery life and always-on connectivity, apparently.
While Intel tries to tap into the smartphone market, Qualcomm has turned towards PCs, already shipping prototype Snapdragon-based Windows 8 machines to developers.
The S4 chips, which are based on an Arm core, boast an integrated cellular modem and 3D graphics capabilities.
Standout features are 4G connectivity and powerful multimedia qualities, said Chandhok, who also stated the company has considered 64-bit support for the upcoming Windows OS.
Arm already announced its forthcoming Armv8 architecture will handle 64-bit, so that could just be a matter of time. ®
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