Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, the first 4 nm chip in the Snapdragon 4-series. The new entry-level SoC aimed for smartphones offers a decent performance boost over its predecessor, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, while also supporting faster RAM and storage.
The new chip offers 10% boost in CPU performance compared to 4 Gen 1.
Here are some of the key features of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2:
- 4 nm manufacturing process
- Octa-core CPU with two Cortex-A710 performance cores and six Cortex-A510 efficiency cores
- Support for LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage
- New Spectra triple ISP
- New Hexagon processor
In addition to the CPU and GPU, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 also features several other improvements, including:
- Support for LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage
- A new Spectra triple ISP that can handle up to 108MP photos and 4K video
- A new Hexagon processor that is said to offer up to 20% better AI performance
Technical Specs of Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
(SM4450)
| CPU | 2x Cortex A78 @ 2.2GHz 6x Cortex A55 @ 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Adreno |
| DSP / NPU | ? |
| Memory Controller | 2x 16-bit @ 3200MHz LPDDR5 25.6GB/s or 2x 16-bit @ 2133MHz LPDDR4X 17.0GB/s |
| ISP/Camera | Spectra (2x 12-bit)1x 108MP or 32MP with ZSL or 16+16MP with ZSL |
| Encode/ Decode | 1080p60 H.264, H.265, VP9 (Decode-Only) |
| Integrated Modem | X61 Integrated (Rel. 16) LTE DL = 800Mbps UL = 210Mbps 5G NR Sub-6 (100MHz) DL = 2500Mbps UL = 900Mbps |
| Wi-Fi/BT | Wi-Fi 5 (1×1) | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Mfc. Process | Samsung 4nm |
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 features an Octa-core CPU with two Cortex-A710 performance cores and six Cortex-A510 efficiency cores. The CPU is clocked up to 2.2GHz, which is a significant increase over the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1’s 2GHz clock speed.
The chip is also the first in the Snapdragon 4-series to be built on a 4 nm process, which will help to improve efficiency and performance.
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 joins the 2023 lineup of processors from Qualcomm, including Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 which was announced in March this year.
Comparison: Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 VS Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
On comparison of 4 Gen 2 with its predecessor 4 Gen 1. There are some hits and some misses.
| Feature | Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Process | 6nm (TSMC) | 4nm (?) |
| CPU | 2x 2.0GHz + 6x 1.8GHz | 2x 2.2GHz + 6x 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | ??? |
| RAM | LPDDR4x, 2133MHz | LPDDR5x, 3200MHz |
| Storage | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 (2-lane) |
| Display | Up to FHD+ @ 120fps | Up to FHD+ @ 120fps |
| ISP | Triple | Dual (12-bit) |
| Camera | up to 108MP | up to 108MP, up to 32MP Zero Shutter Lag |
| Video | up to 1080p @ 60fps | up to 1080p @ 60fps, EIS |
| Modem | X51 (2.5Gbps down, 800Mbps up) | X61 (Rel. 16, 2.5Gpbs down, 900Mbps up)) |
| Local | Wi-Fi 5 (2×2), Bluetooth 5.2 (aptX) | Wi-Fi 5 single antenna (1×1), Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX) |
| USB | 3.2 Gen 1 | 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Charging | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 4+ |
In terms of over efficiency and performance, the 4 Gen 2 seems to offer significant updates. Thanks to,
- Smaller manufacturing process, 4 nm vs. 6 nm,
- Faster clock speeds
- Faster RAM LPDDR5x
- Faster Memory UFS 3.1
The Bad part – Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- 4 Gen 2 offers Bluetooth 5.1 instead of 5.2 which is offered in the 4 Gen 1. Which means slower Bluetooth connectivity and no BLE (Bluetooth low power)
- The Wi-Fi part of 4 Gen 2 has also been downgraded, as it now offers single antennae compared to 2 antennae in 4 Gen 1
Overall, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is a decent upgrade over the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, and offering much better performance and experience.
Conclusion
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 will be a popular chip in upcoming low to mid-range mobile devices, competing with the likes of Exynos 1330. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is expected to be used in a number of mid-range smartphones including Redmi and Vivo which will be released later this year.
The first smartphone to feature the chip is expected to be the Redmi Note 12R, which is scheduled to be released in China in July.
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