Qualcomm has introduced its Snapdragon 801 chipset, positioned between the Snapdragon 800 and the upcoming Snapdragon 805. It builds on the 800 rather than replacing it outright, focusing on performance gains and efficiency improvements.
Compared to the Snapdragon 800, the 801 delivers faster CPU and GPU performance, along with a significant boost in image processing.
What’s Improved
- Up to 14% faster Krait 400 CPU cores
- Up to 28% faster Adreno 330 GPU
- Up to 45% faster camera sensor processing
One of the key advantages is that Snapdragon 801 remains pin-for-pin and software compatible with the 800. For manufacturers, this means upgrading to the new chip is straightforward, with minimal changes required.
Built for Better Camera Performance
The biggest focus here is image processing. The improvements are aimed at handling high-resolution sensors more efficiently, reducing the time it takes to process large photos.
This is particularly useful for devices with advanced cameras, where processing speed can often be a bottleneck.
Connectivity and Efficiency
Snapdragon 801 also includes an integrated multi-band 4G LTE Cat4 modem and support for WiFi 802.11ac.
Battery efficiency is improved as well, with the chipset able to selectively scale down unused cores to conserve power.
Dual SIM Support
Dual SIM, dual active (DSDA) support is now built directly into the hardware. This makes it easier for manufacturers to offer dual SIM functionality without additional complexity.
Snapdragon 800 vs 801
| Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) | Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974ab) | Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974ac) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| CPU clock | 2.26GHz | 2.26GHz | 2.26GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
| GPU clock | 450MHz | 550MHz | 578MHz |
| ISP clock | 320MHz | 465MHz | 465MHz |
| Memory | Dual channel, 32-bit, LPDDR3-1600 | Dual channel, 32-bit, LPDDR3-1866 | Dual channel, 32-bit, LPDDR3-1866 |
| eMMC | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 |