Qualcomm Introduces Snapdragon 4 Gen2
Qualcomm has recently unveiled the Snapdragon 4 Gen2, a new chipset designed for entry-level smartphones. This upgraded version brings several improvements, including a new manufacturing process, higher frequencies, faster memory and storage, and a stronger baseband.
Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 4 Gen1, Qualcomm has upgraded the manufacturing process from TSMC 6nm to Samsung 4nm. While the CPU configuration remains the same with a dual-core A78 and hexa-core A55, the frequencies have been increased from 2.0GHz to 2.2GHz and 1.8GHz to 2.0GHz, respectively.
Interestingly, the Snapdragon 6 also features a combination of A78 and A55 cores, but with a quad-core plus quad-core configuration. However, the small core of the Snapdragon 4 Gen2 is even slightly faster than the Snapdragon 6. Details about the Adreno GPU upgrade are not yet provided.
In terms of imaging capabilities, the Snapdragon 4 Gen2 introduces multi-camera time domain filtering (MCTF) for high-quality noise reduction in videos. However, the number of Spectra ISPs has been reduced from three 12-bit to two, likely to meet the requirements of entry-level devices that don’t demand powerful cameras.
The chipset continues to support a single 108MP lens or 32MP lens with zero latency. The dual-camera configuration has been changed to 16MP + 16MP, no longer supporting three 13MP lenses.
AI features have also been enhanced, offering AI-based dark-light shooting for improved image quality in low-light environments and AI-enhanced background noise cancellation for clear voice and video calls in busy settings.
Memory support includes LPDDR4X-2133 and LPDDR5X-3200, providing a bandwidth of 25.6GB/s for the first time in the Snapdragon 4 series. Storage has been upgraded from UFS 2.2 to UFS 3.1, while the outdated eMMC 5.1 has been eliminated.
In terms of connectivity, the baseband has been upgraded from Snapdragon X51 to Snapdragon X61, supporting the 5G R16 standard. However, the network speeds remain unchanged, with 5G offering download speeds of 2500Mbps and upload speeds of 900Mbps, and 4G providing download speeds of 800Mbps and upload speeds of 210Mbps. The millimeter wave band has been removed.
The multimedia capabilities of the Snapdragon 4 Gen2 show no significant changes, supporting a 120fps FHD+ high refresh rate display, as well as 1080p video decoding and encoding for H.264, H.265, and VP9 formats.
One disappointing aspect is that the Bluetooth version has been downgraded from 5.2 to 5.1, eliminating Bluetooth LE Audio. Qualcomm may need to provide an explanation for this decision.
The second-generation Snapdragon 4 phones are expected to be released later this year, offering these upgraded features and enhancements to users in the entry-level smartphone segment.
