Tag: arm

Snapdragon X Plus With Oryon CPU, 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU for On-Device AI Launched

Snapdragon X Plus was launched on Wednesday as Qualcomm’s latest Arm-based chip for laptops. It follows the launch of the chipmaker’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon X Elite platform. The latest laptop processor is equipped with a 10-core CPU and a 45 TOPS NPU, along with support for 64GB of RAM. Qualcomm has also touted the on-device artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of the Snapdragon X Plus chip, which comes with support for three external displays at 4K HDR resolution. along with 5G and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.

The new 4nm Snapdragon X Plus platform (XIP-64-100) is comprised of 10 Oryon CPU cores with a peak clock speed of 3.4GHz, and a 3.8 TFLOPs Adreno GPU. It is also equipped with a 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU from Qualcomm that enables support for on-device AI computing. The chip supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM, along with NVMe (PCIe Gen 4) or UFS 4.0 or storage.

According to details shared by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X Plus platform is 37 percent faster than competing processors — that it did not name, but are expected to be Apple’s M-series chips — while offering up to 54 percent better power efficiency. It supports a 4K HDR on-device display with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with up to three 4K HDR external displays simultaneously.

Snapdragon X Plus sits below the flagship Snapdragon X Elite processor (tap to expand)
Photo Credit: Qualcomm

 

The chipmaker demonstrated the on-device AI capabilities of the Snapdragon X Plus using Riffusion for generating music in Audacity, live translation of 100 spoken languages in OBS Studio, and using Codegen to generate fresh code with generative AI (GenAI).

The Snapdragon X Plus is equipped with dual 18-bit Spectra image signal processors (ISP) that supports up to 64-megapixel cameras and up to 4K HDR video recording. The chipset comes with Qualcomm Aqstic audio support, along with the proprietary aptX audio codec.  

Connectivity options on the Snapdragon X Plus include 5G (mmWave, Sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. Cellular connectivity is enabled by the chipmaker’s Snapdragon X65 5G modem, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections work over the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 connectivity system. The chip also enables USB 4 connectivity with three USB 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, and an Embedded USB (eUSB2) port.

According to Qualcomm, laptops with the latest Snapdragon X Plus chip will be available in mid-2024, and the chipmaker is yet to provide a list of OEMs that will introduce new laptop models with the 4nm processor. Customers will be able to purchase laptops powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite chips — such as the purported Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 (2024) — in the coming months.

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OnePlus 13 Specifications Tipped; Could Offer a Similar Screen Size as OnePlus 12



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Microsoft’s Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6 to Come in Arm, Intel Options With AI-Focused Tools: Report

Microsoft is believed to be working on new versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 with significant design and hardware improvements. They are expected to come with Intel’s latest 14th-generation and Qualcomm X series chips. The tech giant is yet to officially reveal launch plans for the laptops but a media report claims that Microsoft is preparing AI-oriented versions of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for the spring. They are said to feature next-gen neural processing unit (NPU), along with Intel and Arm-based options.

A report by Windows Central citing sources states that Microsoft Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will be launched in the spring with a choice of either an Intel or an Arm processor. Both models will reportedly include next-gen NPU silicon. The Arm variant could be powered by a custom version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Series chips. They are said to be marketed as Microsoft’s first true next-gen AI PCs by incorporating AI-enabled features.

Microsoft’s Arm-based PCs, codenamed CADMUS, will reportedly be designed to run the next version of Windows, codenamed Hudson Valley. They will reportedly include Microsoft’s AI Windows experiences for 2024 and offer improved performance, battery life, and security on par with Apple silicon. The Intel version of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 will reportedly run on Intel’s 14th Gen processors.

The Surface Laptop 6 will reportedly get an updated design with thinner bezels, rounded display corners, and new ports. It is said to be offered in 13.8-inch and 15-inch display sizes. The rumoured 13.8-inch display would be an upgrade from the 13.5-inch display on the Surface Laptop 5. Further, the upcoming model could offer two USB Type-C ports and a USB Type-A port alongside a magnetic Surface Connect charging port. Microsoft is expected to include a haptic touchpad on the laptop as well. The Surface Laptop 6 is anticipated to sport a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard deck for quickly accessing Windows Copilot.

Microsoft will reportedly provide a brighter display on the Surface Pro 10 with support for HDR content. It is said to feature rounded edges on the display and the screen could have an anti-reflective coating. It might come with a resolution of either 1,440 x 2,160 or 1,920 x 2,880. It is expected to feature an NFC reader for commercial customers and a wider FoV webcam with Windows Studio Effects. In addition to this it might include an updated Type Cover accessory with a dedicated Copilot button.

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Apple Signs New Deal With SoftBank-Owned Arm for Chip Technology, IPO Documents Say

Apple has signed a new deal with Arm for chip technology that “extends beyond 2040,” according to Arm’s initial public offering documents filed on Tuesday. Arm unveiled pricing on Tuesday for what it hopes will be a $52 billion (roughly Rs. 4,31,951 crore) initial public offering, which would be the largest such deal in the US this year. Arm owner SoftBank Group plans to offer 95.5 million American depository shares of the United Kingdom-based company for $47 (roughly Rs. 3,900) to $51 (roughly Rs. 4,235) apiece, Arm said in a filing.

Arm owns the intellectual property behind the computing architecture for most of the world’s smartphones, which it licenses to Apple and many others. Apple uses Arm’s technology in the process of designing its own custom chips for its iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

The two companies have a long history – Apple was one of the initial companies that partnered to found the firm in 1990, before the release of its “Newton” handheld computer in 1993, which used an Arm-based processor chip. The Newton flopped, but Arm went on to become dominant in mobile phone chips because of its low power consumption, which helps batteries last longer.

Apple was among a number of large technology companies that on Tuesday invested $735 million (roughly Rs. 6,105 crore) in Arm’s initial public offering. Reuters last week was the first to confirm that Apple was among the strategic investors who agreed to buy shares.

The deal disclosed on Tuesday was not mentioned in Arm’s previous IPO filing documents made public on August 21, implying that the deal was signed between then and September 5.

Arm declined to comment beyond its filings, and Apple did not immediately return a request for comment. 

© Thomson Reuters 2023 

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SoftBank Said to Have Bought Vision Fund’s Stake in Arm for $64 Billion

SoftBank Group has acquired the 25 percent stake in Arm it does not directly own from its Vision Fund unit in a deal that values the chip designer at $64 billion (nearly Rs. 5,32,350 crore), according to people familiar with the matter. 

Details of the transaction will be unveiled on Monday when Arm makes public the filing for its blockbuster stock market launch, the sources said, requesting anonymity as these discussions are confidential. 

SoftBank is now expected to sell fewer Arm shares in the initial public offering (IPO) and would likely be retaining a stake of as much as 90 percent in the company, according to the sources, adding that Arm’s capital raising from the IPO would be less than the range of $8 billion (nearly Rs. 66,550 crore) to $10 billion (nearly Rs. 83,180 crore) it was earlier planning. 

SoftBank is currently in talks to list Arm at a valuation of $60 billion (nearly Rs. 4,99,100 crore) to $70 billion (nearly Rs. 5,82, 250 crore) in the IPO, which is expected to happen in September, Reuters has previously reported. SoftBank, which took Arm private for $32 billion (nearly Rs. 2,66,170 crore) in 2016, sold a 25 percent stake in the company to Vision Fund 1 (VF1) for $8 billion in 2017. 

The deal removes a potential overhang for Arm’s stock following the IPO, because VF1 had initially planned to cash out its stake in the stock market over time following the listing, while SoftBank has indicated it will remain a long-term strategic investor. 

Reuters was first to report earlier in August that SoftBank was in talks to buy the stake from the Vision Fund. The Wall Street Journal reported the financial terms of the deal earlier on Friday. 

The deal also delivers a major victory for VF1’s biggest investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala. They nursed losses after many of SoftBank’s bets on startups such as workspace provider WeWork Inc and ride-sharing firm Didi Global soured.

Arm’s plans to go public come as the US IPO market shows early signs of a recovery after a barren spell that lasted a year and a half. Grocery delivery service Instacart and marketing automation firm Klaviyo are also expected to go public in New York in September, the sources said. 

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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