Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 778G Plus, 695, 480 Plus, and 680 chips: everything to know

Qualcomm is revamping its Snapdragon 7-, 6-, and 4-series with the launch of Snapdragon 778G Plus, Snapdragon 695, Snapdragon 480 Plus, and Snapdragon 680 system-on-chip (SoC) models. They’re more mid-cycle refresh than full-blown upgrades which makes lot of sense in COVID-times when the whole industry is grappling with chip shortage.

The San Diego-based chipmaker is also dropping a few figures with regards to sales and growth alongside announcing these new chips. Qualcomm says its Snapdragon 7-series grew by 44 percent last year alone due to “tremendous high-tier demand.” Also, there have been more than 85 devices announced or currently in development based on the Snapdragon 480, Qualcomm’s entry-level 5G chip. All in all, there a is “significant traction and momentum across all Snapdragon tiers,” as per the company.

As mentioned earlier, the newly announced Snapdragon 778G Plus, Snapdragon 695, Snapdragon 480 Plus, and Snapdragon 680 don’t reinvent the wheel but they should help the industry forward by way of multiple options being available across price points. Of the four, the Snapdragon 778G Plus, Snapdragon 695, and Snapdragon 480 Plus are 5G-ready while the Snapdragon 680 is 4G-only.

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Let’s start with the Snapdragon 778G Plus. This is a slightly tweaked version of the popular Snapdragon 778G. It has a slightly faster CPU and faster GPU as well. It has the same Kryo 670 Prime core as the Snapdragon 778G but it can now clock higher—2.5GHz versus 2.4GHz.  The Adreno 642L GPU is also being carried forward but it is now said to be 20% more powerful.

The Snapdragon 695 is bringing more upgrades in comparison –over the Snapdragon 690. It packs faster Kryo 660 CPU cores which makes it up to 15 percent faster. It also has a tweaked Adreno 619 GPU which is said to be 30 percent faster than the one in the Snapdragon 690. Not only that, there is also a difference in manufacturing. The Snapdragon 695 is based on a 6nm process (versus 8nm in the Snapdragon 690). Rounding off the package is mmWave 5G support which was missing in its predecessor.

The Snapdragon 480 Plus is similar to the Snapdragon 480 but it has a slightly faster CPU (2.2 GHz versus 2.0 GHz).

As for the Snapdragon 680, it uses Kryo 265 CPU cores, Adreno 610 GPU, and all-new triple ISP, which is the Spectra 346.

Qualcomm says that all these new chips are expected to launch commercially in Q4 2021.

Originally appeared on: TheSpuzz