As a follow-up to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 (SM4450) Qualcomm has just unveiled the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (SM4450). As a result of the Snapdragon X61 modem, this is the first chip in the series that supports the improved 3GPP Release 16 version of 5G. As part of the Snapdragon 4-series, this is the first chip made with a 4nm process.
It is unclear which foundry Qualcomm uses, but the newer node should be more efficient overall. Samsung’s 480 chip is fabricated at 8nm, while TSMC’s Gen 1 chip is 6nm.
Specs:
The new CPU has two performance cores (clocked at 2.2GHz) and six efficiency cores (2.0GHz). Thus, SD 4 Gen 2 performs 10% better than SD 4 Gen 1. Adreno GPU details are not provided, but the display support remains the same – FHD+ at 120 frames per second.
Furthermore, the new chip uses faster RAM, LPDDR5x (up to 3,200MHz). It is also possible to equip phones with faster storage, UFS 3.1 (2-lane).
A dual-ISP is replaced by Multi-Camera Temporal Filtering (MCTF), which provides better noise reduction for videos. There is still a limit of 1080p video capture at 60 frames per second (and 720p at 120 frames per second for slow motion), but Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is now supported. This chip can handle cameras up to 108MP or 32MP for Zero Shutter Lag (or 16+16MP for dual cameras). There should also be a faster autofocus.
According to Qualcomm, the Gen 2 chip can charge a battery to 50% in 15 minutes, as with its predecessor. USB-C connectivity is rated at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds (i.e., up to 5Gbps).
Power-saving features, improved coverage, and more accurate cell-based location are all part of 3GPP Release 16. With the X61 modem, you can perform 4×4 MIMO (up to 100MHz bandwidth) and get speeds up to 2.5Gbps down and 900Mbps up.
In terms of local connectivity, the chip only supports Wi-Fi 5 (ac) at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX.
It’s going to be (Xiaomi) Redmi and Vivo that will be first to market with smartphones featuring the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 in the second half of this year.
