Qualcomm unveils 64bit Snapdragon 410 chip and plans 4G support across the board

410 is firm's first 64bit ARM chip for smartphones

Qualcomm has unveiled a new Snapdragon mobile processor for the high-volume market that is also its first 64bit ARM chip for smartphones. At the same time, the firm said it will make 4G LTE capability a standard feature across all Snapdragon chipsets.

The wireless chipset maker said the delivery of faster connections is important to the growth and adoption of smartphones in emerging regions, and announced the new Snapdragon 410 chipset line to address this need.

Qualcomm said the Snapdragon 410 is a 64bit capable processor featuring four CPU cores along with enhanced graphics performance via an integrated Adreno 306 GPU, plus support for 1080p full HD video playback and up to a 13MP camera.

The processor cores inside the Snapdragon 410 are said to be based on ARM's Cortex-A53 design, which is a departure for Qualcomm that typically designs its Snapdragon chips around its own ARM-compatible cores.

Although aimed at mid-range smartphones, the new chip includes 4G LTE and 3G connectivity for all major modes and frequency bands across the globe, plus support for dual or even triple-SIM handsets.

Qualcomm said that the Snapdragon 410 processor is set to begin sampling in the first half of 2014 and should be shipping in devices in the second half of the year. It will support all major smartphone operating systems, including Android, Windows Phone and Firefox OS.

The firm will also make available a Qualcomm Reference Design version of the Snapdragon 410 processor, paired with Qualcomm's RF360 wireless front end.

Qualcomm will also make 4G LTE the standard across all Snapdragon processors in future. Senior vice president Jeff Lorbeck said the Snapdragon 410 chipset will thus be the first of many 64bit capable processors from the firm.

"We are excited to bring 4G LTE to highly affordable smartphones at a sub $150 price point with the introduction of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor," he said.

The firm also recently announced its Snapdragon 805, a high-end chip aimed at smartphones and tablets. Devices based on it are also due next year.