Qualcomm on 21st January announced its new lineup of mid-range smartphone SoCs at an event held in India. All these new mobile platforms are the first from the company to have support for ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organization) NavIC global positioning system. Moreover, they only have support for 4G networks but come with WiFi 6 compatibility and other Qualcomm technologies.
The San Diego-based chipmaker launched three new mobile platforms – the Snapdragon 720G, the Snapdragon 662, and the Snapdragon 460 – at the event. Out of these three, the Snapdragon 720G is the most powerful chip capable of delivering smooth gaming experience on mid-range smartphones and will be available starting this quarter. Whereas, the other two will be powering budget and entry-level smartphones releasing in the last quarter of 2020.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G is a toned-down version of the already available Snapdragon 730G powering the devices like Realme X2. It features an octa-core CPU clocked at 2.3 GHz consisting of Qualcomm Kryo 260 and Kryo 465 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz and 2.3 GHz respectively following ARM’s big.LITTLE configuration. The chipset is manufactured using 8nm process technology to offer better power efficiency. As for graphics, it features Adreno 618 GPU with support for Snapdragon Elite Gaming features and True 10-bit HDR gaming.
It also includes the Spectra 350L ISP capable of capturing still images up to 192-megapixels and 4K HDR video recording. For connectivity, it has support for Bluetooth 5.1 with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Audio, WiFi 6 with Qualcomm FastConnect 6200 Mobile Connectivity to connect with dual networks, dual-frequency GNSS, NavIC, and comes with Snapdragon X15 LTE modem with 4 x 4 MIMO and 3 x 20 MHz carrier aggregation to deliver a peak downlink of 800 Mbps. Lastly, it has support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 technology.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
The Snapdragon 662 comes with a 2 GHz octa-core CPU featuring Kryo 260 cores. Unlike the 720G, it is manufactured on 11nm process technology and features Adreno 610 GPU and does not come with any dedicated gaming features. The Qualcomm Spectra 340T ISP present in it can support dual cameras up to 16MP and single camera up to 192MP. Further, this chip has support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 along with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Audio, WiFi 6, Dual Frequency GNSS, and NavIC.
The chip can support displays up to FHD+ (2220 x 1080 pixels) resolution at 60 Hz and features Qualcomm Snapdragon X11 LTE modem for cellular connectivity. It can provide a maximum downlink and uplink of 390Mbps and 150Mbps with the help of 2 x 20 MHz carrier aggregation, 2 x 2 MIMO, and 256-QAM. As for charging, it only supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460
The Snapdragon 460 platform is the least powerful of all the new mobile platforms announced by the company. It features a 1.8 GHz octa-core CPU made of Kryo 240 cores paired with the same Adreno 610 GPU found on the Snapdragon 662 and is also manufactured on the same 11nm process technology. Also, it can support displays up to the same FHD+ (2220 x 1080 pixels) resolution at 60Hz. Further, the connectivity options on the chip include WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, Dual-frequency GNSS, NavIC, and Snapdragon X11 LTE modem.
As for optics, it can support dual-camera up to 16MP and single camera up to 48MP only. And lastly, for charging, it comes with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. In other words, apart from CPU and camera capabilities, the Snapdragon 460 is identical to the Snapdragon 662 in terms of features.
