Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and 4 Gen 1: Qualcomm already has its new weapons for the mid-range

Qualcomm has just presented two new processors for mid-range and low-end mobile devices. These are the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, two proposals for low-end phones that come with the latest in connectivity and without forgetting the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence (AI).

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, which is manufactured in a four-nanometer process, is presented as the successor to the Snapdragon 695 announced in October last year. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 is manufactured on a six-nanometer process and arrives to take the reins from the Snapdragon 480+. Let’s see what these new offerings are all about.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, the most powerful midrange Qualcomm

Let’s start with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Qualcomm promises a 40% improvement in performance compared to the previous generation. To achieve this, the company has changed the configuration of the SoC. Previously it was 2+6, i.e. four high-performance cores (Cortex-A7x) and six high-efficiency cores (Cortex-A5x).

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 approaches things differently. It goes for a 4+4 configuration, i.e. very similar to the configuration that has been pushed in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 and 8 series. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on battery life, as more performance cores would consume more power.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 1

At the GPU level, the semiconductor giant says this generation Adreno will perform 35% better than the previous generation. The SoC will support LPDDR5 memories at a maximum frequency of 2750 MHz. Artificial intelligence capabilities, meanwhile, are powered by an upgraded Hexagon DSP processor.

Manufacturers choosing this SoC for their mobile devices will be able to opt to implement a single sensor of up to 200 MP, thanks to the 12-bit Spectra triple ISP. They will also have alternatives: a single configuration of up to 48 MP (MFNR, ZSL, 30 fps), a dual configuration of 25 and 16 MP (MFNR, ZSL, 30 fps), or a triple configuration of 13 MP (MFNR, ZSL, 30 fps).

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Regarding the other multimedia aspects, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 will support FHD+ displays with up to 120 Hz refresh rate. In audio, it has Qualcomm Aqstic codecs and Qualcomm aptX audio playback support. The SoC also has support for Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, NavIC, GPS, and QZSS.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, a proposal for the most economical devices

We move on to the other SoC presented today, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. Here we find a 2+6 core configuration, just like its big brother. Qualcomm says that the CPU will perform 15% better than the previous generation. At the GPU level, the performance improvement is more modest: it stands at 10%.

In the memory section, there are no updates. We see the same configuration as in the Snapdragon 480+, i.e. it will support up to 32 GB of LPDDR4x RAM at 2133 MHz. This SoC incorporates a triple ISP with AI functions. Manufacturers will be able to incorporate a camera of up to 108 MP or 32 MP with ZSL.

They will also be able to opt for other configurations in the photographic section. A dual one of 25 and 13 Megapixels with ZSL and a triple one of 13 MP, also with ZSL. At the connectivity and positioning level, we have Wi-Fi 5 (based on FastConnect 6200 IP), Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, NavIC, GPS, and QZSS.

Qualcomm says it expects Snapdragon 6 Gen 1-based devices to be available in Q1 2023 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1-based devices are expected to arrive in Q3 2022. Brands such as Motorola and iQOO have been the first to say they will adopt these chips for some of their devices.

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