As part of today"s Qualcomm Summit 2023, the mobile chip maker announced a new platform designed to help people with multiple devices that run on different operating systems. It"s called Snapdragon Seamless, and in theory, it should make it easier to transfer files across devices, as well as connect accessories to different products as well.
In its announcement, Qualcomm cites a survey from Deloitte that says each US household has on average about 21 devices. However, many of them might not work together well. That might be especially true if those devices come from several different companies.
Qualcomm says that devices that use the Snapdragon Seamless platform will be able to work together in a number of different ways. Here are some examples cited by the company:
- Mice and keyboards can work seamlessly across PCs, phones and tablets.
- Files and windows can be dragged and dropped across different types of devices.
- Earbuds can switch intelligently based on the priority of an audio source.
- XR can extend the abilities of smartphones.
The platform will be incorporated into Qualcomm"s upcoming processors, including the just-announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chip and the Snapdragon X Elite processor made for Windows PCs. It will also help connect audio and wearable devices as well.
Qualcomm says that a number of different companies, including Microsoft, Xiaomi, ASUS, Honor, Lenovo, and OPPO, are working together to support Qualcomm Seamless in their upcoming products. The list of companies will also include Google with its Android OS.
Of course, the biggest company that is not mentioned on the Snapdragon Seamless list is Apple. It"s very unlikely that the folks in Cupertino will be very interested in making its iOS and Mac products compatible with Qualcomm"s plans.
Qualcomm claims that the first devices that will support Snapdragon Seamless will be available sometime before the end of 2023.