Qualcomm today unveiled its new Snapdragon 778G5G mobile processor platform to power high-end smartphones coming in the second quarter.
The platform of multiple chips will be used in smartphones coming from Honor, iQoo, Motorola, Oppo, Realme, and Xiaomi. Snapdragon 778G is designed to deliver everything from high-end mobile gaming to accelerated artificial intelligence.
The chip includes three image sensors to capture three photos or videos simultaneously in wide, ultra-wide, and zoom. Users will be able to record from all three lenses at once, allowing them to capture the best aspects of each and automatically merge them into one professional-quality video.
Users can also shoot with 4K HDR10+ video capturing over a billion shades of color. Snapdragon 778G also supports staggered high dynamic range (HDR) image sensors so you can get computational HDR video, which provides dramatic improvements to color, contrast, and detail when capturing videos. Qualcomm also announced additional chips at an event in San Diego, California.
AI advances
Above: Qualcomm has upgraded the AI Engine in its latest Snapdragon chip.
The platform features the 6th-generation Qualcomm AI Engine with the Qualcomm Hexagon 770 processor delivering up to 12 TOPS and 2 times performance improvements on a per-watt basis compared to its predecessor.
Now virtually all connections, video calls, and phone calls are enhanced by AI to enable use cases like AI-based noise suppression and better AI-based camera experiences. The platform also uses the second-generation Qualcomm Sensing Hub, which integrates a dedicated low-power AI processor for contextual awareness use cases.
Gaming
Above: Qualcomm’s Game Quick Touch feature reduces touch latency.
When it comes to gaming, the platform delivers select Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, including Variable Rate Shading (VRS) and Qualcomm Game Quick Touch, two features that are now unlocked in the 7 series. The company previously announced the features in the Snapdragon 888 series in December. Game Quick Touch reduces touch latency, optimizing it at the millisecond level.
Enabled by the Qualcomm Adreno 642L graphics processing unit (GPU), VRS allows developers to specify and group the pixels being shaded within different game scenes to help reduce the GPU workload and provide greater power savings while still maintaining the highest visual fidelity.
Qualcomm Game Quick Touch offers up to 20% faster input response for touch latency.
Connectivity
The Snapdragon 778G includes the integrated Snapdragon X535G Modem-RF System to help deliver millimeter-wave and sub-6 5G capabilities to more users around the world.
By featuring the Qualcomm FastConnect 6700 Connectivity System, Snapdragon 778G supports multi-gigabit class Wi-Fi 6 speeds (up to 2.9Gbps) with 4k QAM and access to 160MHz channels in both the 5GHz and 6GHz bands.
Additionally, the Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound technology suite offers verification that Qualcomm Technologies’ hallmark audio features and system-level optimizations are implemented to enable a redefined listening experience, end to end. With support for Bluetooth 5.2, fast Wi-Fi 6/6E, and 5G, Snapdragon 778G is capable of delivering low-latency gaming, sharing, video calls, and more.
Performance
The chip is manufactured using a 6-nanometer process technology, in which the width between circuits is 6 billionths of a meter. Qualcomm said the Snapdragon 778G balances performance and power efficiency. The Qualcomm Kryo 670 generates up to 40% uplift in overall CPU performance, and the Adreno 642LGPU is designed to deliver up to 40% faster graphics rendering compared to the previous generation.
Devices based on Snapdragon 778G are expected to be commercially available in the second quarter of 2021.
Qualcomm also announced its first 10-gigabit 5G M.2 reference design, aimed at accelerating the adoption of faster 5G wireless networking services.
Reference designs
Above: Qualcomm’s reference designs for 5G smartphones.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G M.2 Reference Designs will accelerate 5G adoption across industry segments, including PCs, always-connected PCs (ACPCs), laptops, customer premises equipment (CPEs), extended reality, gaming, and other mobile broadband (MBB) devices.
The new reference designs are powered by what the company describes as the world’s most advanced and first 3GPP release 165G modem-RF solutions –Snapdragon X65and X625G modem-RF Systems — supporting unmatched spectrum aggregation, global 5G sub-6, extended-range mmWave, and high power-efficiency. The reference designs will help customers launch 5G products faster, with products expected to debut later this year.
New 5G modem
Qualcomm also unveiled its Snapdragon X65 5G modem-RF System for global 5G expansion. The upgraded features in this platform will enhance the fourth-generation 5G modem-to-antenna solution, which was announced in February.
As the world’s first 10-gigabit 5G and the first 3GPP release 16 modem-RF System, the software-upgradeable architecture allows future-proofing of solutions powered by the Snapdragon X65, which supports and enables acceleration of 5G expansion. The architecture also enhances coverage, power efficiency, and performance for users. The upgrades will enable rollouts in a variety of regions, including China.
Article: ‘Qualcomm’ unveils chips to power the next generation of smartphones