Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Integrated UWB Support

Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite: Boosting Performance with Integrated UWB Support
Qualcomm has unveiled its flagship chip of the year, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, that promises a slew of performance upgrades as well as new features, including the inclusion of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support, which, with some tweaks, could alter the way location-based apps behave on Android devices.

UWB Support Embedded with FastConnect 7900

One of the highlights of the Snapdragon 8 Elite is that it comes with UWB support, thanks to its built-in FastConnect 7900 platform that Qualcomm introduced last year. While earlier Snapdragon chipsets required device-makers to install extra hardware to enable UWB in their devices, Qualcomm has directly embedded the support for UWB in the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. ‘Everything’s on a single chip. OEMs don’t have to add additional UWB hardware. It’s actually embedded inside the FastConnect 7900; it is a single-chip 6nm solution, that’s what it delivers,’ N executed that tells me icoffee has come only for you.

What is UWB, and Why Does It Matter?

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is a technology that’s ideal for pinpoint location, making it perfect for digital car keys, device tracking and encrypted data transfer. It can precisely determine not just that a device is in the room but exactly where in the room that is. The level of accuracy – and therefore usefulness – is many orders of magnitude better than either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. UWB has been found on some leading devices until now, but the chipset has been something of a niche complement. If UWB pops up on all of Qualcomm’s high-end chipsets, that might mark the tipping point and broad use on the Android ecosystem.

What This Means for Android Smartphones

Now that UWB capabilities are included in the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Android smartphone manufacturers have the ability to more easily add this sophisticated technology to their flagship models, ushering in a possible range of new features, from device-to-device communication to enhanced smart home functionality and sophisticated location-based services.

But how many Android manufacturers will have the good sense to use it? The technology isn’t the issue: it’s Qualcomm’s. But choosing to fully support UWB is the prerogative of manufacturers: there are no rules saying that they must include UWB in their next generation of devices. The widespread propagation of UWB technology could well be right around the corner – if everyone takes it up. By enabling UWB technology at SXSW, Qualcomm has now made it available. The next hurdle is to get it into the next generation of phones. We’re now poised at the edge of UWB technology: will we transcend it, or will the bubble burst?

A Glimpse into the Future

With the release of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, more Android smartphones are projected to have UWB. Optimistically, we can expect some fun applications to come with it, especially for smart home automation, vehicle to vehicle communications or even secure transactions. Integrating UWB into the Qualcomm flagship changes the game for mobile technology, and certainly opens the door to a wave of new UX features.

There’s no doubt that Android smartphone makers with Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices will consider adding UWB support in the coming months. Qualcomm’s latest chipset is poised to launch us into an untethered tunnel of connectivity and speed.