Qualcomm's press conference kicked off IFA 2020 with some impressive announcements regarding its 5G-enabled processors. Following strong market performance for 5G technologies and with COVID-19 speeding up the push toward ultra-connectivity, Qualcomm's announcements were a welcome step forward.

5G Support for 4-Series Snapdragon Processors

We already knew about Qualcomm's full support for the sub-6 and mmWave 5G spectrum on its Snapdragon 865 and 865+ chips, as well as the ongoing rollout of support for 6-Series and 7-Series chips.

snapdragon qualcomm series 4 processor ifa 2020

But in a slightly surprising announcement, IFA 2020 saw Qualcomm announce 5G support for its Series-4 chips, too. The Snapdragon Series-4 chips focus primarily on budget smartphones and other budget devices. Importantly, this sector covers billions of people. With 5G spectrum sales taking place across Europe, Asia, and South America, the time for expansion into budget 5G connectivity is ripe.

Qualcomm expects Series-4 5G device support from manufacturers such as OPPO, Motorola, and Xiaomi, with the first batches of devices arriving sometime in 2021.

Qualcomm Adaptive ANC

Qualcomm also announced the introduction of Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (AANC) for its range of earbuds. Previously, the small form factor of earbud design posed a problem for the integration of ANC tech.

Now, Qualcomm confirms that the QCC514x chip (released in March) will receive an update to enable Adaptive ANC. Furthermore, Qualcomm claims that the AANC will also work with "open" earbuds, too. We haven't had a chance to test whether AANC works with the open earbud design, but it is certainly an interesting prospect for owners of that design.

Qualcomm 8CX Gen 2 5G Processors

Qualcomm's biggest announcement was the upgraded 8CX Gen 2 5G chip and ongoing partnership with Microsoft. The 8CX Gen 2 5G will support both 5G spectrums (sub-6 and mmWave), as well as Wi-Fi 6.

The architecture hasn't changed massively. The 8CX Gen 2 5G comes with a 64-bit octa-core CPU that is touted to offer over 15 percent better performance than Intel's 10th-gen Core i5 CPUs. Furthermore, Qualcomm estimate the upgrades to the chip should provide around 50% more battery life, as well as allowing for even slimmer designs.

qualcomm snapdragon 8cx gen ifa 2020

The 8CX Gen 2 has some other upgrades, too. For example, the chip can now output to two 4K monitors at 60 frames per second. It also enables HDR streaming and playback, along with support for 32-megapixel webcams for super crisp images.

In collaboration with Windows and Qualcomm, Acer announced the launch of its updated Acer Spin 7 laptop. The new model will become the first laptop to feature the 8CX Gen 2 chip, and the first Acer laptop to offer 5G support.

Qualcomm IFA 2020 Roundup

As expected, Qualcomm is exemplifying its extensive 5G credentials, illustrating how its 5G-enabled Snapdragon processors are already powering the rollout of the next mobile network standard.

For consumers, the biggest things Qualcomm processor innovation brings are much faster data connections using 5G, faster processing, and, importantly, much better battery life for a number of devices.

The addition of the Acer Spin 7 to its line-up is an exciting step forward for both Qualcomm and consumers alike. As more devices move to a 5G-enabled processor, expect Qualcomm to remain at the forefront of innovation.