Chipset manufacturer Qualcomm has announced that it will no longer refer to its Snapdragon chips as processors but rather as Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform. The move will see the entire hardware and software platform on a Snapdragon-powered device being referred to as Snapdragon.
According to the company, the rebranding is as a result of the company wanting to accentuate that its offerings go beyond a single chip.
The company explains: "For decades, the semiconductor industry has used the term "processor" to mean the component that powers the most advanced devices. It's a word that Qualcomm has embraced over the years with our Snapdragon brand, or as we say, our Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. But the word is an inadequate representation of what the technology actually is, and the solutions that tens of thousands of our innovators have worked on".
The chipset manufacturer further says that while the single processor form factor is a system-on-a-chip (SoC), housing custom technology like an integrated modem, CPU, GPU, and DSP, there is a lot more going on outside of the chip.
"In truth, Snapdragon is more than a single component, a piece of silicon, or what many would misinterpret as the CPU; it's an anthology of technology, comprising hardware, software, and services that are not fully captured in a word like 'processor'. That is why Qualcomm Technologies is refining our terminology by referring to Snapdragon as a 'platform' instead of a processor".
The rebranding will include the actual system-on-a-chips (SoC), Qualcomm's quick charge technology, digital-to-analogue audio converters, WiFi products, touchscreen controllers, and fingerprint sensors. As well as the software and drivers that make it all work. It will however not include the processors in its 200 tier.
"Those will fall under the new Qualcomm Mobile name to help differentiate entry-level platforms from Snapdragon products," noted the company.
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