CES 2015: Qualcomm moves from Home to Road

At CES in Las Vegas this week, Qualcomm Technologies is showcasing mobile experiences that define the future of the connected home, car and consumer.

At the International CES 2015 expo in Las Vegas this week, Qualcomm Technologies and Qualcomm Atheros revealed the potential of both the next-generation smart home and next-generation automobile with a range of new connected mobile computing experiences.

Qualcomm is demonstrating two new full technology concept cars that are the world’s first to integrate Qualcomm Technologies’ latest in-vehicle technology and connectivity. The technology concept cars are based on the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte GTS and the 2015 Cadillac XTS. They have been customised to bring the full Snapdragon Automotive Solutions experience to life, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 602A automotive-grade processor, Qualcomm Gobi‚Ñ¢3G/4G LTE wireless modems and Qualcomm VIVE QCA6574 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module, and Qualcomm IZat RGR7640 GNSS module.

The Qualcomm Concept Car – Cadillac demonstrates pre-integrated support for Android, including the latest Android L and Kit Kat: high resolution infotainment displays: integrated in-vehicle features, including navigation, music, live streaming of sports, news and entertainment content via LTE-Broadcast: enhanced safety features such as lane detection with integrated navigation, driver distraction avoidance notification, gesture recognition, car personalization via the AllSeen Alliance’s AllJoyn open source framework: wireless audio streaming from personal devices via the Qualcomm AllPlay smart media platform: smartphone integration and Qualcomm WiPower flexible wireless charging for consumer electronics and: 4G LTE multimode Internet connectivity including WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth profile support.

The Qualcomm Concept Car – Maserati features pre-integrated support for the latest versions of the QNX Neutrino OS and the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment from QNX Software Systems, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited.

Highlights include an instrument cluster with speed recommendations, collision warnings, and intelligent parking assist: an infotainment system with 3D navigation, smart phone integration, rear seat entertainment with easy-to-use multimodal UI supporting gestures (tap, swipe, pinch), and voice recognition: an immersive driver experience with rear and side view mirror/displays, complete with refitted cameras and informational safety features: WiPower flexible wireless charging for consumer electronics: and 4G LTE multimode Internet connectivity, including WiFi hotspot and Bluetooth profile support.

Integrated into the technology concept cars are:

4K technologies

At CES 2015, Qualcomm Technologies is introducing a range of new experiences around 4K and next-generation immersive entertainment. Utilising the Snapdragon 810 processor with integrated next-generation LTE-Advanced modem and Qualcomm Adreno 430 graphics, QTI is publicly demonstrating the world’s first delivery of 4K content with LTE Broadcast technology.

The Snapdragon 810 processor is an end-to-end 4K processor with support for both 4K capture and display, along with the latest H.265 and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) compression technologies designed to maximize bandwidth efficiency. With the Snapdragon 810 processor’s recently announced integrated LTE-Advanced Category 9 modem, mobile users can experience peak download speeds of up to 450Mbps over three 20MHz LTE radio channels and have the optimal platform for next-generation 4K LTE broadcast. QTI’s comprehensive LTE Broadcast solution for evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) includes the LTE chipset, broadcast client, multimedia services and a proven software development kit (SDK) for LTE Broadcast application development.

The Snapdragon 810 processor also now incorporates Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 and WiPower charging technologies to offer increased efficiency and flexibility for device makers’ charging options. Products with Quick Charge 2.0 can charge up to 75 percent faster than products without fast-charging technology, while WiPower supports lower costs and greater charging efficiency among wireless charging solutions.

Based on Near Field Magnetic Resonance technology and designed to be compatible with the Alliance for Wireless Power’s Rezence technology, WiPower is designed to allow a range of compatible consumer-electronic and handset devices to charge without the need for precise alignment or direct physical contact. Qualcomm Quick Charge and Qualcomm WiPower are products of QTI.

Home Wi-Fi Connectivity

Building upon the multi-gigabit 802.11ad features found in the Snapdragon 810 chipset, Qualcomm Atheros is also demonstrating the world’s first tri-band wireless solutions for home networking products and media hub solutions. With support for 802.11ad (60GHz), 802.11ac (5GHz and 2.4GHz) Wi-Fi, this new reference design will offer a broad connected experience ‚Äî providing whole-home coverage with areas of high-speed, high-capacity wireless for residential gateways, set-top boxes and media servers without interference from nearby access points.

The media hub is designed to allow fast downloads, and sharing and streaming of locally cached or cloud-based media such as 4K movies and images. And since 11ad operates in the 60 GHz band, it is designed not to be susceptible to interference from other wireless devices, which means superior 4K experiences. The tri-band access point will ship in the second half of 2015.

At CES, multiple customers are also showcasing new 802.11ac Wi-Fi routers which utilize Qualcomm Atheros MU-MIMO technology — Qualcomm MU | EFX. Computing and smartphone device manufacturers are expressing support, signaling the expected acceleration of consumer adoption this year.

We are very excited to showcase a new range of premium mobile experiences that extend Qualcomm Technologies’ mobile computing and connectivity leadership across so many vectors of product innovation at CES 2015,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and co-president, QCT. “From next-generation connected cars, LTE Broadcast streaming in 4K, and leading-edge home networking, our technologies are bringing consumers a new level of content and context while keeping them seamlessly connected at home and on-the-go.

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