A new Qualcomm chipset -- the unannounced Snapdragon 830 -- is rumored to have made to the listing of Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements.
Hidden under the code name MSM 8998, the new software will supposedly power Windows 10 mobile devices soon.
The new chipset will add to its long string of predecessors like the MSM 8994 (Snapdragon 810), MSM 8992 (Snapdragon 808), MSM 8952 (Snapdragon 617), MSM 8909 (Snapdragon 210), MSM 8208 (Snapdragon 208), MSM 8996 (Snapdragon 820), and MSM 8953 (Snapdragon 625). But while the Microsoft listing is confirmed, Qualcomm has not announced any news of the latest chipset and so it is still unclear if the MS 8998 is indeed the Snapdragon 830.
If the Chinese report is believed to be right, the new processor will support 8 GB RAM with a 10nm architecture forming the manufacturing base. The power consumption and optimization will be fueled by Kyro CPU, and the GPU will see an upgrade from the current Adreno 530. However, till the makers unveil the details officially, these specs need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Snapdragon 830 might be Qualcomm's way of regaining its footing in the market after the company faced some flak last year owing to Snapdragon 810. The older processor housed eight cores, which may have led to the overheating issues, garnering a lot of negative feedback from the users. Following this, Qualcomm cut back on its ever increasing number of cores, and instead used four Kyro cores for the next-in-line Snapdragon 820 chipset.
The 820 processor was a success and powered flagship models like the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7. The yet-to-be-launched HTC 10 will supposedly run on this chipset as well.
Now, while it is confirmed that new MSM 8998 will power the Windows 10 mobile handsets, it will be interesting to wait and see if the code indeed hides the rumored Snapdragon 830 processor.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
