Snapdragon processor: why are they the best on smartphone?

In the smartphone world we can find various brands of processors such as Exynos, Kirin, Snapdragon, MediaTek or Apple's A11, A12 and A13 . However, users prefer to choose Snapdragon processor when they choose a specific model, since they have the belief that they are the best smartphone processors. Next, we tell you why they are the best processors on smartphone.

Index of contents

performance

The first thing we think about when choosing a processor is which processor performs best? It is normal because the CPU of the mobile is the one that takes care of all the tasks along with the RAM memory, so it is necessary to have a good chip that can with everything we throw at it.

We would like to highlight that Snapdragon is a brand of processors that supplies all manufacturers that want, not reserving processors for a specific brand. We say this because in Android we find Kirin and Exynos as alternatives to Snapdragon, but they are single-brand processors ; that is, we can only enjoy them if we buy a Huawei or Samsung, with exceptions.

In the telephony industry, performance is measured by differentiating between: single- core, multi-core and graphics performance. We start from the following:

In the high range, we find the Snapdragon 855+, 855 and the oldest Snapdragon 845 and 835. In the middle range, we have the Snapdragon 730, 712, 710 and the oldest Snapdragon 675 and 660. In the low range, they are the Snapdragon 450, 439, 435 and 429.

Before drawing your conclusions, you should always remember that benchmarks are illustrative, but do not assume the truth of anything because manufacturers can "trick them." You must trust the impressions that the ends you have in your hand give you; in short, the user experience.

Mononucleus

Regarding the maximum performance that we can get from a single processor core, we conclude the following:

High-end performance is in the first part of the standings, but lags behind the Exynos 9820 and Exynos 9825. For its part, its performance outperforms its main mid-range rivals. In the low-end, MediaTek's Helio P25 and P35 perform really well, ranking above the low-end Snapdragon processor.

Multicore

Snapdragon's multi-core performance is much better and bridges the gap against its rivals. All of its processors achieve more multi-core performance than single-core. Some processors get more performance from a single core, such as the Exynos 9820 and 9825.

In the high-end, it drives performance well above the mononucleus, lengthening its performance quite a bit. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 835 does not demonstrate much greater multi-core efficiency . In the mid-range, we see clear benefits when the Snapdragon works with the 8 cores, shooting their performance. In the low range, we conclude that it is where the Octa-core have the greatest impact, such as the Quad-core of the Snapdragon 429. If we want to get it out the highest performance, we must use all the cores.

Graphics

Graphics are a very important aspect for many users because they make the difference between a lagged game and a good user experience. In this case, Snapdragon always works with the Adreno GPU, an excellent GPU that has the best reviews in the mobile sector.

The high-end performance is really good, with nothing to envy its competitors. The Adreno 640 is the most powerful Android GPU. In the mid-range it leaves us a bittersweet taste because it does not have as much impact on performance, which makes us think that it could be better. The Adreno 618, 618 or 615 fills the entire mid-range without rival.In the low range, the Adreno lose importance because it is a range where you do not look much at the graphics of the terminal, but how fluid it is, etc. In this case, the Adreno 505 is a better GPU than the PowerVR or the Mali T830.

Fabrication process

If you look at the manufacturing process, the Snapdragon 855 uses a 7nm process, giving it a superior performance of 45% compared to the Snapdragon 845 processor. The same thing happens with the GPUs in the Adreno.

Although the processor with the most performance today is an A12 Bionic, the Snapdragon 855 and 855+ are two processors that have their foot at the peak of performance. We see that performance when launching applications, seeing much faster releases than other competing 7nm processors.

Among so many benefits, we would like to highlight the efficiency it has shown compared to the 845, extending the autonomy of the phone quite a bit.

Support 5G and Wi-Fi 6

Another of the functions that we find in the Snapdragon family is that of the 5G support. It may not be a feature now, but processors have to support new technologies. 5G is the future, so Qualcomm includes its X50 modem in its high-end processors.

This modem can use the Sub-6Ghz band and the mmWave for 5G connectivity, which means reaching high speeds when we are connected to a 5G network. Therefore, we can download 4K movies or transfer large files in minimum time. Of course, we will need a 5G network, which is a lot to ask for, unless we are in the United States.

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Regarding Wi-Fi 6, it is about bringing the latest technological equipment in wireless connections . The Snapdragon 855 supports 60 GHz 802.11, which means it can reach 10 Gbps of speed at a latency very similar to what we have with ethernet cables. All this translates into non-existent lag when we connect our mobile to the television and project our screen, for example.

Fast charge

Its fast charging technology is one of the best in the world and is called Qualcomm Quick Charge. All the smartphones that equip a Snapdragon processor usually have this technology available, either for medium or high range.

We have Quick Charge 4.0, a fast charge that greatly reduces the charging time of our batteries. Qualcomm was one of the first companies to develop this type of technology for the smartphone world, so it is one of the best performing. We can enjoy it on phones launched since 2019.

Updates

Qualcomm has always been compared to MediaTek when it comes to CPU security updates or patches. In this regard, Qualcomm's update policy is really good, not leaving its older processors in the lurch.

However, MediaTek has greatly improved in the update and support of its devices, leaving the difference with Qualcomm in minimum values. That said, users looking to install Custom ROMs, Custom Kernels, etc., choose Snapdragon over MediaTek.

It is true that it is a very small sector of users, but that it exists and should not be neglected.

On-screen fingerprint sensor

One of the most famous Snapdragon innovations is the 3D Sonic Sensor. It is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is placed under the screen and that we saw in operation with the OnePlus 6T. Currently, the entire high-end must incorporate a fingerprint sensor under the screen as a synonym for quality.

A high-end phone should have its fingerprint sensor under the screen, like its facial and iris recognition (presumably).

HDR10 + support

Today's phones are portable multimedia centers that we can take wherever we want. For this reason, special emphasis is placed on display technology, such as technologies related to video playback. The Snapdragon 855 supports HDR10 + technology , as it equips a very powerful H.265 and VP9 decoder.

In fact, the Snapdragon 855 supports 8K video at 120 fps, which is essential for anyone who wants to wear VR glasses and their content.

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These are the reasons why Snapdragon processors are the best. Do you agree with them? Do you consider that they are no longer the best? Why?