Qualcomm is an American multinational corporation specialized in making semiconductors, software, and services related to wireless technology. Yesterday, Qualcomm unveiled four new chipsets which include two new chipsets and two Plus versions of current chipsets. These new chipsets focus mostly on 5G connectivity with just only one lacking it, they also come in a smaller fabrication process. The four new mid-range and entry-level Snapdragon chipsets will be written about below. First, we’ll talk about the new chipsets, then the Plus versions of the current chipsets.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
This is a follow-up to the popular Snapdragon 690 SoC and now, it comes with mmWave 5G support which was missing on the Snapdragon 690. This should make it more popular among carriers that are pushing for their mmWave networks.
Also, the Snapdragon 695 comes with decent upgrades in both CPU and GPU performances. It now offers up to 15% more CPU performance and up to 30% more GPU performance. This is achievable thanks to its newer CPU cores Kryo 660 (vs. 560 for the 690) and the Adreno 619 (vs. 619L).
Another major upgrade is that it is now built on a newer 6nm fabrication process which should be more energy efficient.
Something strange here is that it comes with a less capable ISP when compared to the ISP on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
This new chipset is designed to be used in basic mid-range smartphones that don’t require much performance as it comes with a mix of old and new features.
First of all, it comes with a 4G LTE modem so there’s no luxury 5G connectivity here. It can only support 1080p+ displays at 90Hz.
Also, it uses a Kyro 265 CPU cores which should be upgraded versions of the Kryo 260 cores used recently in the Snapdragon 662 but it has the same Adreno 610 GPU.
Something new here is that it is now also built on a newer 6nm fabrication process which is an upgrade over the 11nm fav process on the 662 making it more power-efficient.
The Snapdragon 680 now has a triple ISP, a Spectra 346 which allows it to process image data from three cameras simultaneously. This is rare among basic mid-range chipsets.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+
The Snapdragon 778G+ chipset comes as an improved version of the original Snapdragon 778G which was quite popular among the more premium mid-rangers.
It is built on the same 6nm fabrication the but now, it has been tweaked to allow for higher clock speeds and better GPU performance.
The Kyro 670 cores now run at 2.5 GHz which is a slight upgrade from the 2.4 GHz on the 778G. Also, the Adreno 642L GPU now promises up to a 20% increase in graphics performance
This is all the upgrades for now.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ is the Plus version of the original Snapdragon 48O which was the first 400-series Snapdragon chipset with a 5G modem. It allows companies like HMD Global to make more affordable 5G phones.
Some upgrades include faster prime CPU clock speeds at 2.2 GHz (vs 2.0 GHz), slightly improved GPU, support for 1080p+ displays at 120Hz, and a new X51 5G modem.
The new X51 5G modem on the Snapdragon 480+ has support for sub6 and mmWave 5G networks.
Qualcomm has also integrated its Spectra 345 ISP that brings triple 12-bit ISPs, support for up to 64MP photo captures, and 1080p video recording at up to 60fps.
However, it is still built on an 8nm fabrication process with relatively old Kryo 460 CPU cores and an Adreno 619 GPU.
