Super high definition 4K video and photo capabilities could be coming to your smartphone quicker than you think, according to mobile processor giant Qualcomm.
Speaking at a media event in London today, Qualcomm european president Enrico Salvatori outlined how 4K technology, which allows users to view cinema-quality movies or experience Ultra HD gaming on mobile devices, is becoming increasingly commonplace thanks to the pace of development in the mobile industry.
"Enabling techs for 4K are here today," Salvatori told attendees, "4K is coming and mobile will drive adoption."
As consumers change their mobile device at a much quicker rate than they would their PC or television, more and more people will get the chance to experience next-generation technologies such as 4K, which is gradually being rolled out into smartphones across the market.
Several existing devices already allow 4K capture, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and Salvatori only sees this growing in the future.
"Mobile is ready for 4K (thanks to the) fast pace of innovation," he added, "The biggest generator of 4K content could be in your pocket already – mobile is becoming the driving force behind the rise of 4K".
More than one billion smartphones will have an 8MP or higher camera by 2017, the minimum requirement to capture 4K video content, Salvatori explained, which will combine with advances in HD display technology to ensure that more consumers than ever will be able to experience the technology than ever before.
This isn’t to say that the company doesn’t see 4K television taking off as well, as research carried out by Qualcomm showed that UK retailers expect this Christmas to be the first occasion where the technology really takes off, with 78% of consumer electronics retailers expecting to be promoting a number of 4K-enabled sets in the run-up to the holidays.
Qualcomm is helping push out technologies like 4K through the release of its flagship Snapdragon 805 processor, which was announced last November. This super-powerful chipset brings a range of performance upgrades to mobile devices, allowing downloads of around 300MBps, along with the ability to capture 4K video.
The recently launched LTE-A capable Samsung Galaxy S5 in Korea, powered by the Snapdragon 805, was the first time a device featuring such advanced connectivity was commercially available, Salvatori added, but more devices powered by the processor should go on sale before the end of the year.
