Computer Software

Qualcomm has officially announced its first 64-bit system-on-chip (SoC) for mobile devices. The Snapdragon 410 is a 28nm chip designed for mid-range Android handsets and emerging markets, rather than flagship phones.

Although some may be disappointed to hear the first 64-bit CPU for mobile devices outside of Apple's iPhone 5s is destined to appear in mid-range handsets, there's a good reason for the move. ARM, the company which designs the core architecture Qualcomm uses as the basis for its chipsets, only has a single 64-bit design ready for production - the Cortex A53.

Qualcomm has bolted four A53 cores, running at 1.2GHz, together for the Snapdragon 410. It also has an Adreno 306 GPU core, supports dual- and even triple-SIM handsets, up to 13-megapixel cameras and 1080p video playback.

Beyond GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth, Snapdragon 410 also supports multimode and multiband 4G LTE, which should mean any handset using the chipset will work on super-fast networks around the world.