10 Best Qualcomm Snapdragon Processors

The most budgetary mobile processor for low-cost entry-level smartphones. Created using a 28-nanometer process technology and has only 4 Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of 1.4 GHz. The chip is complemented by an Adreno 308 (500 MHz) graphics accelerator and works with LPDDR3 RAM with a capacity of no more than 4 GB. The Hexagon 536 neural processor allows you to work with 16-megapixel optical modules and a screen resolution of no higher than 1280x800 pixels.

As you can see, this SoC solution is absolutely budgetary, not designed for gaming use and will only allow you to work with a classic set of applications, such as social networks, e-mail, etc. To date, Snapdragon 425 is most actively used in Xiaomi Redmi 5A and Vivo Y53 smartphones.

Inexpensive 8-core processor with very impressive power efficiency. The secret lies in the 14nm process technology and the architecture of the ARM Cortex A53 cores operating at up to 1.8GHz. The Adreno 506 accelerator with integrated support for real-time camera effects is responsible for the graphics. In addition, this chip has received a number of special energy-saving technologies, so that a smartphone based on it will be able to live without recharging for a longer time than most competitors.

The most tangible drawback of this SoC system is working with memory of a standard not higher than LPDDR3, which somewhat slows down computing processes, so the Snapdragon 450 is completely unsuitable for demanding games, although it has support for intelligent gesture recognition, which is increasingly used by developers in gaming software.

A budget chip for low-cost smartphones with a two-cluster structure and an 11-nanometer process technology. On this chip, in the company of Adreno 612 graphics, there are 2 high-performance Cortex-A76 cores (up to 2.0 GHz) and 6 energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores (up to 1.7 GHz), which together provide a good level of work balance in applications of any complexity against the background of excellent savings battery charge.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the efficiency of interaction between the processor and the camera. Among the main features are support for resolutions up to 48 megapixels in single-camera shooting mode, highly detailed 4K video capture, and electronic image stabilization.Thanks to this, the user can get a budget camera phone with shooting quality at the level of more expensive models.

A perfectly balanced chip with good performance in both office and gaming applications, complemented by a high level of energy saving. Created using an 8-nanometer process technology, the Snapdragon 730 chip received 8 Kryo 470 cores (6 energy efficient and 2 high-performance), as well as Adreno 618 graphics with a developed support system for AI interaction with a smartphone camera in games and other graphic applications.

This SoC system supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology, and its processor core architecture was originally designed for better power efficiency, which ensures long battery life even with constant background tasks. And this is against the background of the presence of support for energy-intensive 4K displays and cameras with a resolution of up to 48 megapixels.

Chip with a high level of performance, 6-nanometer process technology and a relatively affordable price. It debuted in May 2021, and by autumn it had firmly secured its place in the top 10 most productive mid-range smartphones. The processor architecture is familiar to Qualcomm: 8 cores divided into three clusters with frequencies from 1.9 GHz to 2.4 GHz. Work is available with 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM at a frequency of up to 3200 MHz, the graphics part is represented by GPU Adreno 642L (490 MHz). A very important point is the low TDP level, which does not exceed 5 watts.

The performance potential of the chip is most successfully realized in the Realme Q3s, Realme GT ME and Realme 9 5G smartphones. The Snapdragon 778G also played well in Motorola Edge 20, as well as Huawei Nova 9. In general, the choice of available gadgets is very wide, even gamers whose budget does not allow them to look towards flagship devices will be able to find their own version.

This 7nm SoC system is the first in the Snapdragon lineup to use the triple-cluster layout of its 8 cores, significantly increasing performance and energy efficiency, which makes smartphones last longer and at the same time expands the range of content they can perceive without overloading the system. This chip received cores with a frequency of 1.8 to 2.84 GHz, which are supported by Adreno 640 graphics and LPDDR4x memory.

In addition, the capabilities of this processor include work in 5G networks, although the main focus is on the maximum communication efficiency through 4G. We also note the presence of support for 4K displays and the ability to use single cameras with a resolution of up to 48 megapixels. The only thing this chip lacks for a full-fledged leadership is work with LPDDR5 memory.

Debuted in the Poco X3 Pro smartphone, the Snapdragon 860 chip is an upgraded 7nm 855+ series processor with increased support for LPDDR4X RAM to 16 GB and improved camera options.Other minor improvements significantly improved the stability of the chip, allowing more efficient use of the potential of the 8-core layout, the most productive core of which produces a frequency of 2.96 GHz. The Adreno 640 core (675 MHz) is responsible for graphics processing, and interaction with cameras is carried out through Hexagon 690 with support for resolutions up to 192 megapixels.

Note that the processor has not yet received the widest possible distribution and is known on the Russian market mainly for Poco X3 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 smartphones. But its potential is very high and in a few years it may well become one of the most popular mobile gadgets in the mid-budget segment .

A popular Snapdragon offering with fantastic features: advanced 5G support, built-in artificial intelligence (AI), quality VR content playback, and super-fast Quick Charge generation 4+. This processor is based on the 7nm 8-core Kryo-585 architecture with a three-cluster layout format: 4 energy-efficient cores of 1.8 GHz each, 3 high-performance cores of 2.42 GHz, and one ultra-performance core with a frequency of up to 2.84 GHz. And it all works together with the advanced Adreno 650 graphics amplifier and LPDDR5 memory.

As a result, even the most demanding content, including 360-degree video or 8K VR videos, is easily digested, plus high-quality shooting with support for computer vision technologies and cameras with a resolution of up to 64 MP.The icing on the cake is the 960 fps slow motion capability in HD.

Initially, this processor was known under the Snapdragon 898 index, but then Qualcomm changed the naming system, so that the latest flagship appeared under the unusual name Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This is an 8-core processor with three types of cores, the best of which produces an operating frequency of 3.0 GHz. The chip is based on a 4-nanometer process technology, can work with 24 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and received Adreno 730 graphics with a frequency of 818 MHz, three compute modules and 768 shader units. Of course, it is possible to work in 5G networks and interact with the latest optical camera modules.

The novelty is most actively used in smartphones of the Chinese brands Xiaomi, Oppo and ZTE, but the best performance indicators, according to tests, were achieved in Xiaomi Black Shark 5 Pro, ZTE Nubia Red Magic 7 Pro and Oppo Realme GT2 Pro gadgets.

The flagship chip of 2021, which has fallen slightly in price and proved its worth, leading in numerous performance tests for a long time. The Snapdragon 888 series processor is developed using a 5nm process technology and received 8 cores divided into three clusters: 4 Cortex-A55 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz, 3 Cortex-A78 with a frequency of 2.42 GHz and an ultra-powerful Cortex-X1 core with an operating frequency of up to 2.84 GHz. The chip supports up to 24 GB of LPDDR5 RAM (3200 MHz), has support for 5G networks, Wi-Fi 6 and a wide range of navigation systems, including NAVIC, QZSS and Galileo.

The multimedia sector is based on the Hexagon 780, which allows you to support cameras with a resolution of up to 200 megapixels, shoot video in 8K and work with a large number of codecs. We also note an acceptable level of heat dissipation, the TDP of the processor does not exceed 10 W. Well, let's finish with the Adreno 660 graphics core with two computing units and a frequency of 840 MHz. As tests show, Snapdragon 888 is especially good in Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Pro, Oppo Find X3 Pro and Vivo iQOO 9 SE smartphones.