The San Diego-based chip manufacturer and software developer, Qualcomm, has expanded its Snapdragon platform to power mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, unveiling their latest Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite platforms. While both processors have different functions, the two latest Snapdragon SoCs band together to deliver the ultimate futuristic vehicle experiences for users.
It was revealed by the company that its Cockpit Elite will focus on delivering AI integration to vehicles that can feature multiple LLMs and purpose-built AI assistants that can understand one's car and habits.
Qualcomm Cockpit Elite Brings AI Integration to Vehicles
The latest Qualcomm Summit provided an update to the company's in-car experiences coming in the future, and one of the most notable here is the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite SoC that will integrate AI into vehicles. This is the 2nd-generation Cockpit chip from the company but it boasts of the new Oryon CPU which touts thrice the CPU performance of the original Cockpit chip, as well as a 12x Hexagon NPU (neural processing unit) and Adreno GPU.
It was unveiled by Qualcomm that through the Cockpit Elite, users will see significant AI integration where it can handle running LLMs (large language models) "with billions of parameters."
Additionally, it can handle hands-free experiences, AI-enabled zonal audio, support up to 16 external displays, learn what users need and adapt, and other automation features under the Cockpit Elite.
Ride Elite to Join In with Autonomous Driving Tech
To go alongside it, Qualcomm is also touting its Snapdragon Ride Elite which will complement what Cockpit Elite brings to users in terms of AI experiences, but this SoC will focus on autonomous driving technology. It will power the self-driving features of a car and support up to 40 sensors, cameras with 360° coverage, and more.
RADAR and LiDAR point-cloud processing are also supported, AI-powered navigation, self-parking, and other processes available to experience depending on one's car. It was also announced by Qualcomm during the event that it has partnered with China's Li Auto and Mercedes Benz for its chips, and Alphabet for developing in-car AI.
Qualcomm's Focus on Vehicular Chipsets
Qualcomm may have been popular for its smartphone chipsets which powered Android smartphones for a long time now, as well as offering 5G chips during its rise to many companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google, but it has also taken a dip into the automotive industry. Over two years ago, Qualcomm unveiled that it would be developing car chips for the likes of Honda, Renault, and Volvo.
It previously saw reports that claimed that it is Apple's top rival in its developments for electric vehicles, but it is widely known that Qualcomm is the Big Tech that prevailed in this area after Cupertino's Project Titan was canceled. That being said, it gathered more partnerships over the years to develop new platforms for vehicles under the Snapdragon brand, adding the likes of Mercedes Benz, GM, Stellantis, and more.
The massive plans of Qualcomm regarding its position in the global automotive industry are starting to unfold, and it is now introducing the latest chips that will soon power cars to deliver advanced experiences for all kinds of drivers.Qualcomm's latest Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite SoCs are set to bring new in-car experiences for users with AI and autonomous driving, with the company unfolding what it has to offer in the future.
