Qualcomm to release quad-core processor for entry level smartphones

Dual core processors are on their way out of the smartphone game just like the 5MP camera on smartphones.  Dual core processors have been plenty fast for smartphones up to this point and were a nice upgrade from slower single core processors that could barely handle two seconds worth of multitasking.  Today, quad-core processors from companies like Qualcomm usually end up in the higher end devices and will steal the show anytime against a dual core anything.  Qualcomm has announced plans to bring another type of quad-core processor to the market, but this time it will be a lower cost version of the popular Snapdragon S4 Pro.
The designs for the new lower cost processor are coming from ARM Holdings and will likely make the entry level smartphone market a little bit more appeasing to those looking to upgrade to a smartphone for the first time.  With a lower cost, super fast quad-core processor, companies will be able to create devices for less and pass the savings onto the customer without having to take away things like a fast processor to cut costs.  The Google Nexus 7 is one device that comes with a lower cost processor that is based on the Tegra 3 chipset design.
The Snapdragon S4 Pro processors from Qualcomm that are going to be lower cost will be considered the S4 Play processors, compared to the S4 Pro processors.  The new entry level processors will bring better graphics performance to handsets with 720p HD displays.  The chipsets will start to ship at the end of this year, so we could start to see the quad-core powered entry level handsets in 2013 and they will also be powerful enough to include competitive features.
In a note from Qualcomm, the company said, “The MSM8225Q and MSM8625Q processors incorporate quad-core CPUs and are the upgraded software compatible variants of the highly successful Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8225 and MSM8625 processors, which both feature dual-core CPUs and dual SIM support. The quad-core variants will support LPDDR2 memory, increasing the bus bandwidth for improved features such as 720p display and 720p video encode and decode. Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8625Q features Qualcomm’s integrated multimode UMTS/CDMA modem, and the MSM8225Q has an integrated UMTS modem. Both processors enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM connectivity using the Qualcomm Atheros AR6005 and WCN2243 chips.”