As the capability of smartphones ramps up, so the power behind them has to up its game, too.

The unveiling of Qualcomm's new family of Snapdragon chips – featuring the flagship quad-core APQ8064 - is the firm's latest response to this acceleration.

The company claims its new 28nm micro-architecture, codenamed Krait, will deliver speeds up to 2.5 GHz per core.

The graphics game

Purpose built for both smartphones and tablets, Qualcomm says the APQ8064 won't be a power drain either – the four CPU cores are strictly low-power, requiring 75 percent less power than the first generation of Snapdragon processors.

What's more, the chipset's integrated quad-core GPU - the Adreno 320 – will also deliver 12 times the graphical performance.

"We're excited about the new, innovative devices the APQ8064 will enable in the market," said senior VP of computer and consumer products, Luis Pineda.

"With its wi-fi integration and ability to seamlessly interface with Qualcomm’s 3G and LTE modules, the APQ8064 will provide OEM’s with a flexible, cost efficient and fast time to market platform that can meet all of their design configuration needs for tablets and next generation computing and consumer electronic devices."

Family first

Qualcomm is pitching the APQ8064 as a reaction to the devices set to appear on the market in the next few years - each one supporting larger screen sizes and resolutions, multi-tasking and HD gaming.

It's a combination APQ8064 will be ready for, with the new family of chips also including the single-core MSM8930 and the dual-core MSM896.

Qualcomm claims APQ8064 samples will be available in early 2012.