Most smartphone users are familiar with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors that power the majority of Android smartphones on the planet, and they are well-known for their efficiency and performance. Last year’s Snapdragon 865 was one such processor that powered flagship devices such as Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy S20, Oppo Find X2, and OnePlus 8 Pro. Qualcomm has now upped the smartphone game by announcing the all-new Snapdragon 888 processor. The new CPU has a new architecture, and it promises massive performance gains, gaming, camera and security improvements. Let’s take a deeper look at it.
The Snapdragon 888 CPU is based on the new 5nm fabrication process. The processor’s compact size makes it possible to have better transistor density, and Qualcomm says it also improves energy efficiency. The Snapdragon 888 is also one of the first CPUs to use ARM’s Cortex-X1 CPU core. The new core is bigger, has more power, and it delivers peak speeds up to 2.4 GHz. The Cortex-X1 CPU core is part of Qualcomm’s Kyro 680 CPU cluster that includes three Cortex-A78 cores and four low-power Cortex-A55 cores. The new architecture makes the Snapdragon 888 25 per cent more powerful and energy-efficient than its predecessor.
The Snapdragon 888 is a 5G-ready chipset, and Qualcomm has integrated its X60 modem into it. Qualcomm says this integration largely helps to improve devices power-efficiency. The absence of a dedicated modem might make the future devices slightly lighter, and smartphone manufacturers can also use the extra space for bigger batteries. The Snapdragon 888 also comes with Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 which brings support for Wi-Fi 6, new Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz band), and even Bluetooth 5.2 for a crisp and reliable audio experience.
The Snapdragon 888 promises a strong gaming performance with its Adreno 660 GPU. Qualcomm says the new graphics solution is 35 per cent faster and it delivers 20 per cent better battery-efficiency than the previous Adreno 650 GPU. This means you can experience better graphics in high-end games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, Fortnite, and Minecraft without impacting battery life. The new GPU also support premium features such as 144Hz refresh rate and HDR gaming. It is also one of the first smartphone GPUs to support Variable Rate Shading, a feature that was limited to PCs and consoles. Qualcomm says this feature varies the shading rate for different regions of the frame to increase the graphics rendering performance.
Qualcomm has also introduced a new Game Quick Touch feature that aims to reduce touch latency by up to 20 per cent. This can make a huge difference while playing competitive games. There is also a new Anti-Howling feature that ensures there is no echo or audio feedback when you are playing games with your friends in close-proximity.
Qualcomm has also upgraded the image processing capabilities on the new Snapdragon 888. It is Qualcomm’s first CPU to use a triple ISP that lets you record up to 4K HDR videos or 28MP photos from three cameras simultaneously. Qualcomm says each camera lens can now work independently, so there is less lag when you are zooming in or out while recording videos. The Snapdragon 888 also supports 4K computational HDR video recording and 10-bit HDR images in HEIF format. The chipset is also capable of capturing 120fps, 12MP images per second, and extreme low light images down to 0.1 lux. Qualcomm has also made changes to the algorithm for better auto-focus, auto-exposure and auto-white balance.
Smartphones and tablets with the Snapdragon 888 are going to perform better at AI-oriented tasks. It uses Qualcomm’s 6th generation AI Engine that combines the new Hexagon 780 and the GPU’s power to offer speeds up to 26TOPs. This means AI applications such as Google Lens, AR Ruler, and face filters from Instagram and Snapchat are going to run smoothly. Qualcomm says the new AI Engine also offers up to 3 times more performance per watt to improve power efficiency.
The Snapdragon 888 processor also brings a bunch of security improvements. It now supports a Hypervisor feature that allows a user to have multiple virtualized OS spaces. This feature can come handy if you want to keep your work and personal data separate on a device. The new processor also complies with the Content Authenticity Initiative standard that cryptographically seals image metadata to prove its authenticity. The new chipset will also support Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 5.0 that can handle 100W+ fast charging while keeping the phone’s temperature low.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 bring lots of notable upgrades over the older Snapdragon 865 chipset. Qualcomm says they have already started partnering with smartphone manufacturers to build upcoming 2021’s flagship devices. Keep following us on www.reliancedigital.in for all the latest tech updates on all the coolest flagship devices being launched.
