Qualcomm has introduced four new mobile chipsets: the Snapdragon 415, Snapdragon 425, Snapdragon 618 and Snapdragon 620.
While these are aimed at the mid-range market, Qualcomm is bringing over several features usually associated with its higher-end processors, including stronger LTE support, better camera processing, improved multimedia capabilities and newer CPU designs.
Snapdragon 415 and Snapdragon 425
The Snapdragon 415 and Snapdragon 425 are both octa-core chipsets built around eight Cortex-A53 cores on a 28nm process. They are also the first members of the Snapdragon 400 lineup to move beyond quad-core designs.
- 64-bit ARMv8 architecture
- Eight Cortex-A53 CPU cores
- Adreno 405 graphics
- FLAC audio support
The Snapdragon 415 includes a single image signal processor and supports camera sensors up to 13MP. It also supports 720p HD displays and includes Qualcomm’s X5 LTE modem, offering up to 150Mbps download speeds and 50Mbps upload speeds.
The Snapdragon 425 steps things up with dual image signal processors, support for camera sensors up to 21MP, 1080p display output and a faster X8 LTE modem with up to 300Mbps downloads and 100Mbps uploads.
Snapdragon 618 and Snapdragon 620
The Snapdragon 618 and Snapdragon 620 move into more powerful territory, using ARM’s newer Cortex-A72 cores alongside Cortex-A53 cores in a big.LITTLE configuration.
The Snapdragon 618 is a hexa-core chipset with two Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores. It supports 4K video recording and playback, next-generation Adreno graphics and displays up to Quad HD resolution.
The Snapdragon 620 is the stronger option, with four Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores. It includes similar multimedia features, but adds more performance headroom for higher-end mid-range devices.
- Up to 4K video recording at 30fps
- 1080p video capture at up to 120fps
- Dual image signal processors
- Camera support up to 21MP
- Quad HD display support
Both Snapdragon 618 and Snapdragon 620 include Qualcomm’s X8 LTE modem, with support for up to 300Mbps download speeds and 100Mbps upload speeds.
Chipset Comparison
| Chipset | CPU | GPU | Memory | DSP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 415 | 8x Cortex-A53 cores under 1.4GHz | Adreno 405 | LPDDR3 667MHz, eMMC 4.5, SD 3.0 | Hexagon V50 DSP |
| Snapdragon 425 | 8x Cortex-A53 cores under 1.7GHz | Adreno 405 | LPDDR3 933MHz, eMMC 5.1, SD 3.0 | Hexagon V50 DSP |
| Snapdragon 618 | 2x Cortex-A72 under 1.8GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 under 1.2GHz | Next-gen Adreno | Dual-channel LPDDR3 933MHz | Hexagon V56 DSP |
| Snapdragon 620 | 4x Cortex-A72 under 1.8GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 under 1.2GHz | Next-gen Adreno | Dual-channel LPDDR3 933MHz | Hexagon V56 DSP |
LTE Connectivity
| Chipset | Modem | LTE Category | Speeds | Dual LTE SIM | VoLTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 415 | Qualcomm X5 LTE | Cat.4 | 150Mbps down, 50Mbps up | Yes | No |
| Snapdragon 425 | Qualcomm X8 LTE | Cat.7 | 300Mbps down, 100Mbps up | Yes | Yes |
| Snapdragon 618 | Qualcomm X8 LTE | Cat.7 | 300Mbps down, 100Mbps up | Yes | Yes |
| Snapdragon 620 | Qualcomm X8 LTE | Cat.7 | 300Mbps down, 100Mbps up | Yes | Yes |
Wireless Features
| Chipset | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 415 | 802.11ac, 2.4/5GHz, MU-MIMO | Bluetooth 4.1 + BLE | IZat Gen8C Lite |
| Snapdragon 425 | 802.11ac, 2.4/5GHz, MU-MIMO | Bluetooth 4.1 + BLE | IZat Gen8C Lite |
| Snapdragon 618 | Qualcomm VIVE 1-stream 802.11ac | Bluetooth Smart 4.1 | IZat Gen8C |
| Snapdragon 620 | Qualcomm VIVE 1-stream 802.11ac | Bluetooth Smart 4.2 | IZat Gen8C |
Video, Camera and Display
The Snapdragon 620 is the most capable chip in the lineup, with support for 4K video recording at 30fps, 1080p recording at up to 120fps and zero shutter lag support.
| Chipset | Video | Camera | Display |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 415 | 1080p playback with HEVC, Full HD H.264 capture | Single ISP, up to 13MP | Up to 720p |
| Snapdragon 425 | 1080p playback with HEVC, Full HD H.264 capture | Dual ISPs, up to 21MP | Up to 1080p |
| Snapdragon 618 | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, H.265 encode/decode | Dual ISPs, up to 21MP | Up to Quad HD |
| Snapdragon 620 | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, H.265 encode/decode | Dual ISPs, up to 21MP, ZSL at 24fps | Up to Quad HD |
Availability
Qualcomm says the new Snapdragon lineup will be available in the second half of the year. With these chips, we should see a new wave of mid-range smartphones offering better LTE, stronger cameras and improved multimedia features.
Source: Qualcomm