Qualcomm has revealed the details of the improvements it plans to bring to its next generation processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, over its existing top of the line CPU 835. If you have ideas of buying one of the high-end smartphones next year, you should probably wait till they come fitted with the new chipset.
By current indications, the Samsung Galaxy S9 might be the first phone to carry the new Snapdragon 845 processor. The chip manufacturer claims the 845 will render a better performance over 835 by up to 30%. They have also disclosed that the areas they have focused on, while developing the new processor include, camera functioning, better integration of AI processing, phone’s security and also virtual reality.
It would be an octa-core processor with 4 each of the ARM A 75 and A 55 cores, but Qualcomm is said to have made modifications to the cores. The clocking speed is also expected to be higher at 2.84GHz as compared to the 2.45GHz of the 835. It must be considered a marked improvement in the performance of the processor. One must hasten to add that the A 55 cores may deliver a slower speed than before.
On the graphics processor also, the new Adreno 630 is being predicted to deliver an improvement of 30% in terms of its performance over Adreno 540, the current leader of the pack.
Experts, however, point out that the major differential in the new processor is going to be in the areas mentioned above, starting with the cameras. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 will provide much better technology to help the smartphones deliver better images, click photos in even poorer light conditions and so on, with even a single lens setup. The idea is to assist the phone manufacturers in a way that they do not have to scout for different add-on features to promote their devices on the optics front. The CPU will itself aid in making this possible and can result in cost savings also. It should also be clarified that some of these technologies are already on display in phones like Google Pixel 2.
With Qualcomm delivering these capabilities in its 845 processor, other leading players like OnePlus, Xiaomi, LG and Nokia will also be able to launch their top-end smartphones with such imaging capabilities. The phones can deliver better videos also with these improvements in the CPU.
Among other improvements and new features that the new chipset will bring to the table, a modem X20 LTE is being cited that could increase the download speeds, but this may be of benefit to only users in limited geographies where such high-speed internet is available and India is not amongst them.
As indicated in the beginning, the other areas where the 845 will show some new technologies relate to the use and application of artificial intelligence as well as in making the mobile phone more secure for the users.
Market observers believe Samsung may be first off-the-block, with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, when it releases its next flagship the S9 in 2018. Xiaomi’s Mi7 might be another contender. OnePlus 6, Moto Z’s next flagship and Nokia’s next-gen phones are also likely to be released with the new generation processor from Qualcomm.