Qualcomm Takes Aim at Redefining Mobile and PC Technology

I was in Hawaii last week at Qualcomm’s annual press and analyst conference, and the announcements made by the company were nothing short of amazing.

What was also interesting was that the week prior, Qualcomm announced a pivot toward RISC-V. The event didn’t address this strategic move, creating a certain amount of unintended drama. The RISC-V announcement primarily focused on wearables, which were nowhere to be seen at the event outside of earbuds.

This year’s Qualcomm event was all about AI, and it promised not only to revolutionize smartphones and PCs but also to create a level of interoperability that has been promised for years but never delivered, not even by Apple, which has a significant advantage over everyone else because it’s vertically integrated.

If Qualcomm delivers on its promises, the platform could enable one of its OEMs, such as Lenovo, to finally introduce solutions that cross both platforms, effectively outperforming what Apple currently offers.

Let’s talk about how Qualcomm kicked butt last week, and we’ll wrap with my Product of the Week, the Solgaard Carry-On Closet suitcase.

Snapdragon 8: The King of AI on Smartphones

Snapdragon 8 is now the new king of smartphone solutions with a CPU, GPU, and a new NPU (neural processing unit) for smartphones.

Qualcomm promises not only to improve efficiency and performance but also to embed AI capabilities previously thought impossible in PCs, let alone smartphones. When coupled with a comprehensive set of sensors, this solution will have us doing more with our smartphones than we ever thought possible.

Qualcomm demonstrated features that could massively change the utility of smartphones and make them an even bigger part of our lives than they are currently. Let’s walk through some of the coming improvements expected to debut in high-end smartphones before gradually becoming widely available over the years.

Exercise

Coupled with AR glasses, Qualcomm demonstrated how your phone could become an even bigger exercise coach than it is currently.

With custom training programs, AI-generated avatar trainers, and sensors that can assure your air quality and whether you are properly hydrated, smartphones with this capability could do a better job than Peloton does in more places and for far less money.

In addition, Peloton could use this technology to up its game by providing even more personalized instruction.

This new tech could be a game changer for those of us who want to be more fit.

Sound

Qualcomm demonstrated how its Bluetooth and audio technology could revolutionize how we listen to concerts, political events, comedy shows, and conferences.