Qualcomm has launched their next generation, premium chipset – the Snapdragon 855. This next generation of chipset ushers a season of revolution with its significant improved performance benefits, 5G connectivity, AI, multimedia, connectivity and more.
The new chipset will be at the heart of 2019 flagship phones. OnePlus was the first to confirm their 2019 flagship model to get 5G support. This means, the phone is likely to feature the latest Snapdragon 855. Also, there are other brands already on the horizon. Here’s a closer look at what we can expect from the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset.
Qualcomm Snapdragon Chipsets: Comparison List
Product |
Snapdragon 855 |
Snapdragon 845 |
Snapdragon 835 |
CPU cores |
8x Qualcomm Kryo 485 CPU |
8x Qualcomm Kryo 385 CPU |
8x Qualcomm Kryo 280 CPU |
CPU clock speed |
1 x 2.84GHz (Cortex A76) 3 x 2.42GHz (Cortex A76) 4 x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55) |
4 x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A75) 4 x 1.7GHz (Cortex-A55)
|
4 x 2.45GHz (Cortex-A73) 4 x 1.9GHz (Cortex-A53)
|
Process |
7nm FinFET | 10nm LPP FinFET | 10nm LPE FinFET |
Modem name |
Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem |
Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 LTE modem |
Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem |
Megapixel support |
Up to 20 MP dual camera Up to 32 MP single camera |
Up to 16 MP dual camera Up to 32 MP single camera |
Up to 16 MP dual camera Up to 32 MP single camera |
GPU name |
Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 630 GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 540 GPU |
Video playback |
4K, HDR video capture @ 60 FPS | Up to 4K Ultra HD video capture @ 60 FPS | Up to 4K Ultra HD video capture @ 30FPS |
Quick charge support |
Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 technology | Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 technology |
Top-grade performance
A boost in performance usually indicates the difference between generations of processors and the Snapdragon 855 is no exception. Qualcomm has taken a big leap by using 7nm fabrication process technology to compete with Apple’s A12 Bionic and Huawei Kirin 980, which are out and on the latest devices. The shrink in process technology means the transistors around the silicon chip are more densely populated, resulting in a more power efficient and superior performance.
The Snapdragon 855 is an octa-core processor. Of the eight cores, one core is clocked at 2.8 GHz and is the prime core meant for handling intensive tasks. The three others are performance cores and are clocked at 2.42 GHz, while the remaining four are energy efficient ones, clocked at 1.8GHz. According to Qualcomm, the latest processor is claimed to be 45 percent faster and power efficient than the Snapdragon 845.
5G connectivity support
Another big highlight of the Snapdragon 855 is its 5G support. While most smartphones today are 4G-based. Qualcomm is pushing ahead support for the much faster 5G connectivity. The 855 has a built-in X24 modem, offering download speeds of 2Gbps and the peak upload speed of 316 Mbps on supported networks.
Also, the Snapdragon 855 is Wi-Fi 6- ready (802.11ax) for local wireless networking. Qualcomm has also added compliance of 802.11ay, operating on the 60 GHz frequency band. This is to meet the challenging needs of high-definition video streaming, mobile screen casting, virtual and augmented reality and more.
4th Generation Intelligent AI
The all-new Snapdragon 855 features a multi-core 4th generation AI Engine, which is faster, secure and smarter than its predecessors. In addition, the new Hexagon 690 processor plays a major role with a new dedicated Hexagon Tensor Accelerators (HTA) unit that can handle seven trillion operations per second, ushering added capabilities of camera, voice, games, etc. For example, future phones will now have improved context base, which can help in being more accurate with identifying what’s in your surroundings. They would be able to better understand how to capture photos and videos, translate text faster, and more. This is because the tensor units are designed to work independently to handle image processing tasks without any interference. Compared to the previous Snapdragon 845 processor, the resulting AI performance is claimed to be 3 times better.
Evolution of the camera
Cameras on mobile phones have seen a lot of improvements over the past year. Most smartphones these days feature two, three and even five camera setups for capturing better photos. With the new Snapdragon 855, cameras on smartphones are going to be even better, all thanks to Qualcomm’s Spectra 380 image signal processing.
Clicking photos is simply not the work of just the lens and sensors on-board. The Snapdragon 855 features the world’s first computer vision image signal processor (CV-ISP). This technology features object segmentation and classification. It can smartly handle depth sensing, classify objects and figure colour combinations in real time. The result is that you can click better exposure photos, separate objects from scenes or even change backgrounds in real time.
The hardware is accelerated with 14-bit CV-ISP for cutting-edge photos and video capturing, with support for 20MP dual cameras and single 32MP cameras. That’s not all, the Spectra 380 ISP has taken HDR and 4K shooting to the next level. There is an added support for HDR10+ video recording at 60fps, recording of 4K HDR videos in Portrait mode and more.
Elite gaming experience
The HDR feature is no more restricted to camera and video playback. This next-gen graphics also supports True HDR gaming with support for 10-bit colour depth. This means, you can game with graphics rendering of over one billion colour shades.
At the heart of the Snapdragon 855 is the Adreno 640 GPU, which Qualcomm claims will offer over 20 percent more performance than its predecessor. It supports the latest Vulkan 1.1 API that mimics real-life visuals in games. Adreno 640 have also enhanced Physically Based Rendering (PBR) process, which enables fine textures, shadows and characters in gaming titles to look life-like.
The Snapdragon 855 is set to make a big impact on the flagship phones of 2019. We’ll see 5G connectivity, big leap in photography and videography, smart AI, gaming and much more. The upcoming year will definitely be a transformative year for the world of mobile phones.
