Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 to Add LTE Category 9 Support - Analyst Blog

The world's largest mobile chipset developer, Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), has added another feather to its cap. The company has expanded its LTE capabilities in Snapdragon 810 with the processor now offering support for LTE Category 9 carrier aggregation. The processor will thus allow compatible devices to download at top speeds of 450 Mbps, up from the current peak data rates of 300 Mbps.

The Snapdragon 810 processor with integrated next generation LTE-A (Long-Term Evolution Advanced) modem has established download speeds of up to 450 Mbps across three 20MHz LTE carriers.
 
Notably, Snapdragon 810 has thus become Qualcomm's first flagship product to place collectively a 64-bit multicore CPU and LTE-A multimode modem, enabling it to support up to 3x20MHz Category 9 carrier aggregation, as well as aggregation across both TDD (Time Division Duplex) and FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) carriers.

Moreover, Category 9 competence has been authenticated through Snapdragon 810 processor-based experiments conducted with numerous commercial network and test equipment companies, as well as in a display over a commercial network environment.

Qualcomm believes the improved performance and connectivity will deliver faster download speeds, better application performance and enhanced power effectiveness. The Snapdragon 810 processor with Category 9 support is likely to be available to customers in early 2015.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is currently in troubled waters in China and is gradually working its way out through the challenges faced in the market therein. The company is competing with mobile device makers in China, who refuse to pay expected royalties. Furthermore, a probe related to Qualcomm's monopolistic practices has also been initiated by the Chinese regulatory authority, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Qualcomm currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks that Warrant a Look

Better-ranked wireless stocks that warrant a look include Aruba Networks, Inc. (ARUN), InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC) and ViaSat Inc. (VSAT). All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).