Smartphones on the market right now are already incredibly fast, but thanks to five new chips Qualcomm just announced, upcoming handsets in 2022 will be even more capable than what's available today. It's safe to say that the smartphone world is one that never sleeps. Displays get sharper, cameras get better, and batteries last longer. Some year-over-year improvements are quite minimal, but the difference between a phone today and one from just five years ago is quite remarkable.
In the U.S., Qualcomm chips power most of the Android phones sold in the country. Whether it be top-of-the-line flagships, $100 budget options, or anything in between — there's a good chance a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is at the heart of the phone you have right now. That may change in the coming years as companies like Google create their own in-house silicon, but even so, Qualcomm's dominance is unmistakable.
Part of the reason Qualcomm has maintained its position is because of how fast it dolls out new chips. Multiple times per year, Qualcomm announces a new batch of smartphone processors that are better than the ones that came before them. Sometimes the improvements are drastic, other times they're less noticeable, but Qualcomm is consistent in always one-upping itself. On October 26, the company unveiled a total of four new smartphone chips that'll be rolling out to devices in the coming months. These include the Snapdragon 778 Plus, 695, 680, and 480 Plus. The names of the new chips may not mean anything, but the upgrades they're promised are worth looking forward to.
What To Expect From The Latest Snapdragon Chips
Let's start with the Snapdragon 778 Plus — an improved version of the Snapdragon 778 that debuted in May. Qualcomm's touting 'boosted' CPU and GPU performance for smoother day-to-day interactions. More specifically, the CPU goes from 2.4GHz up to 2.5GHz and the touch response rate is 20 percent faster than before. The rest of the chip remains virtually the same, but for 'value flagships,' this should deliver an extremely smooth and responsive experience. Then there's the Snapdragon 695. This is the sequel to the Snapdragon 690, which is featured in phones like the OnePlus Nord N10 and TCL 20. Compared to the 690, the Snapdragon 695 promises a 15 percent performance boost and 30 percent faster graphics. It also supports mmWave and sub-6 5G, meaning affordable smartphones will be able to connect to both networks next year.
Also joining the 600 series is the Snapdragon 680. This is an entirely new platform from Qualcomm that strives to offer capable performance with LTE connectivity. While 5G is obviously the future for mobile networks, Qualcomm says the 680 "helps address demand for incredible LTE experiences." The chip also has "all-day power," supports multiple camera sensors, and can be used with a Full HD+ screen up to 90Hz. Finally, there's the Snapdragon 480 Plus. It takes the foundation of the Snapdragon 480 and makes it just a little bit better. Qualcomm's promoting improved CPU and GPU performance, there's 5G connectivity, and it should be a perfect chip for phones in the $200 - $250 price range.
Even though these aren't groundbreaking processors, they absolutely have their place in the market. Flagship phones with the best silicon are fun to drool over. When it comes to phones most people are actually buying, however, these are the types of chips they're using. This is perfectly evident with Qualcomm's pre-announced availability for them. Over the coming months, these chips will be found in phones from Nokia, Motorola, Oppo, Honor, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Budget phones have gradually gotten better over the years, and improvements to processors like this are a big reason for that.
Source: Qualcomm