At a private briefing at CES, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs confirmed that mobile devices that capture 4K "Ultra HD" will be seen as early as this year.

The executive has recently announced his company's new Snapdragon 800 mobile processor which, amongst other features, enables devices it powers to capture the next-generation video format.

Speaking in front of Wired.co.uk, he commented that "a lot" of device makers are working on smartphones and tablets that will run the Snapdragon 800 chip, and that "this year you'll start to see those devices".

Ultra HD, which is the new name for 4K, is the successor to today's 1080p Full HD format. With a resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels, it's also the big trend of CES this year, with all major television makers showing off their next-gen TVs.

YouTube has supported uploads of 4K video for some time, which will undoubtedly be the go-to place for users to share their Ultra HD mobile footage.