And with good reason, beyond just a few missteps with the Snapdragon 810. The forthcoming 820 chip is actually packing a few innovative new features, some of which have the potential to offer a "killer app" level of functionality in next generation devices.
On board the chip not only is Qualcomm's new Adreno 530 graphics engine, which reportedly will offer a significant 40% gaming performance boost, but the chip also has a number of low power DSP (Digital Signal Processor) engines for dedicated functions, like its Spectra ISP that should offer faster autofocusing and better image quality, as well as support for machine vision applications and three simultaneous camera operations at up to 25MP resolution. However, today's release from Qualcomm highlights chip's security processing engine and it promises to take on Android smartphone security from a completely different angle.
Claimed as a "breakthrough in mobile anti-malware technology" by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 820 incorporates the company's new "Smart Protect" technology that utilizes a cognitive computing and behavioral engine that will also have access to lower layers of the software stack. Along with a dedicated hardware engine, the chip will take a "behavioral analysis" approach to thwart mobile malware and even zero day exploits.
I've long been vocal about the need to lock down devices and systems with not just intrusion detection but intelligent whitelisting. So, for example, if an unknown process is trying to gain access to your camera or cellular radio, it simply won't be able to run and will be locked out. The concept is similar to what Google and Apple have already incorporated in software for "trusted applications and unknown sources" but Qualcomm sounds like it's taking this concept further, giving the chip the ability to monitor the system for unknown or anomalous behavior and make decisions on the fly, whether or not to allow it to run. The fact that this is a hardware-based engine only fortifies the solution even more. Human's can flip security options off and forget they did such a thing. A processor that learns a trusted platform's behavior and then reacts to something outside of that behavior, should be significantly more secure.
Qualcomm already has tools in place to help developers make use of their Zeroth Neural Network technology on board the Snapdragon 820 and this cognitive computing approach to security will be the first instantiation of this new Qualcomm IP. Qualcomm is reportedly working with device manufacturers and mobile security companies like Avast and AVG to implement the Snapdragon 820's Smart Protect capability in future anti-malware apps.
Ultimately, it will be up to device manufacturers to bring the product to market but Qualcomm appears to have laid the foundation for what could be a significantly more secure mobile computing experience.
