Qualcomm Announces New Smartphone Processors: Snapdragon 778G+ 5G, 695 5G, 680, 480+ 5G

Qualcomm is looking to regain the lost ground in the mid-range and higher mid-range chipset market after facing heat from its arch-nemesis, MediaTek. It has announced four new smartphone processors: Snapdragon 480+ 5G, Snapdragon 680 4G, Snapdragon 695 5G, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ 5G. Qualcomm says the two chipsets are all new whereas the other two chipsets are enhanced versions of existing models. Off late, Qualcomm has been notoriously rejigging its old chipsets with new names and few tweaks to sell at higher rates. Let us dive in to check what these new chipsets have to offer, or if they are just overclocked versions.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ 5G Features, Specifications

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset was launched in May 2021. It is a very potent chipset and powers smartphones like the Motorola Edge 20, Realme GT Master Edition, Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, and Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite NE 5G in India. The newly-launched Snapdragon 778G+ is slightly faster, owing to the higher clock speeds of its Kyro 670 Prime CPU cores, which now runs at 2.5GHz as opposed to 2.4GHz in the Snapdragon 778G.

The Adreno 642L GPU is boosted to deliver up to 20% higher performance. It has the Spectra 570L triple-ISP and 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine, featuring the Qualcomm Hexagon 770 processor for up to 12 TOPs of AI (Artificial Intelligence) performance. It brings VRS (Variable Rate Shading) and Qualcomm Game Quick Touch for enhanced gaming.

The chipset is still fabricated on TSMC’s 6nm process. It inherits all the other features from its predecessor, the Snapdragon 778G, including 5G connectivity, dual-frequency GPS, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, and HDR10+ processing. The integrated Snapdragon X53 5G Modem-RF System supports sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. It supports up to a 22MP triple-camera setup, up to a 36MP+22MP dual-camera setup, or up to a 64MP single-camera setup. The Snapdragon 778G+ supports Quick Charge 4+ fast charging technology.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Features, Specifications

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G is a successor to the Snapdragon 690 5G, which was launched last year. It comes with mmWave 5G support, primarily used in the US. The Snapdragon 695 5G utilises newer Kyro 660 CPU cores as opposed to the Kyro 560 before. It features the Adreno 619 GPU compared to the Adreno 619L earlier. Qualcomm promises up to 15% more CPU and up to 30% more GPU performance of the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. It is also expected to be more power-efficient as it is now built on the TSMC 6nm fabrication process versus the 8nm chipset of the Snapdragon 690.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G Features, Specifications

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 is a 4G chipset and will mostly power smartphones in the ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 price range. So, it was wise to not include the 5G support as this would have increased the prices of the chipset. Moreover, in markets like India, there are no 5G networks yet. The Snapdragon 680 is an octa-core CPU built on the power-efficient 6nm fabrication process. It has Qualcomm’s custom Kyro 265 CPU cores clocked at 2.4GHz. It comes with an Adreno 610 GPU.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ 5G Features, Specifications

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 was a 5G chipset built on the 8nm process and was launched in January 2021. Being a budget 5G chipset from Qualcomm, it powered a slew of devices like the Nokia X10, Nokia XR20, Oppo A74 5G, Vivo Y72 5G, and the OnePlus Nord N200 5G. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+ now runs its prime Kyro 460 CPU cores at 2.2GHz, up from the 2.0GHz in the Snapdragon 480. Qualcomm says the Adreno 619 is also boosted as the chip can now handle Full HD+ displays with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The original Snapdragon 480 has been a favourite chipset of the smartphone maker, Nokia, so expect it to feature the latest Snapdragon 480+ chipset in its upcoming devices.

Qualcomm has confirmed that these new chipsets will be available from the fourth quarter of this year, 2021. Expect smartphone manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia, Oppo, Realme, Vivo, and Xiaomi to soon come up with new smartphones powered by these chipsets.