Qualcomm has announced a new 'pro' version of its Snapdragon S4 processor, which will look to offer support for high resolution displays.

Revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the processor will feature an Adreno 320 GPU, with both software and hardware compatibility with the S4 class also on board.

Support structure

Amassing support for popular operating system is naturally a priority for Qualcomm, and the company claims the S4 Pro has been "optimised for the most advanced operating systems", according to Qualcomm, with Windows 8 cited as a priority.

The S4 Pro's Adreno 320 GPU also includes dedicated hardware to accelerate processing on Microsoft's platform, and supports games engines from both Unity and Unreal, amongst others.

"As a result of strong customer demand for Snapdragon S4 processors, we’ve added a new Pro version of MSM8960 to continue delivering the highest performing mobile processors in the industry," said senior VP of product management Cristiano Amon.

"By delivering the S4 Pro processor in 2012, we are fulfilling our promise that Snapdragon processors will remain the industry's barometer for excellence in mobile computing while helping our customers bring the most innovative smartphones and tablets to market."

Hearty hardware

Aside from the new S4 Pro, Qualcomm's vanilla S4 is set to power several smartphones announced at MWC 2012, including the HTC One S, and Panasonic's waterproof Android handset, the ELUGA Power.

Snapdragon processors will also be behind Nokia's Lumia 610 and the high-spec Lumia 900.

The firm's quad-core variant has also been showcased in a new promo video showcasing its grunt by powering a 1900x1200 tablet outputting glasses-free 3D.



The S4 Pro is expected to reach the market in the second half of 2012.

[source: Qualcomm]