Qualcomm Snapdragon 845: Everything that we know
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is the new generation of one of the most powerful mobile chipsets. Its launch took place at the end of October 2017, but only now does it begin to be used in the first devices. The main changes relate to the area of multimedia, especially the enhanced support of virtual reality and, of course, in the field of user data security. What's the difference compa red with the previous model? Which mobile phones will be equipped with this advanced mobile chip?
Introducing the Snapdragon 845 SoC
The mobile processor market is relatively unclear. There are a large number of manufacturers, and everyone has their own style of product marketing. In this article, we will introduce Qualcomm's offering, which has been labelled the Snapdragon 845. It is not a processor in itself but a SoC solution that includes all of the key elements.
The Snapdragon 845 is made with a 10nm manufacturing process and offers a completely new interior architecture. Although we can again see the well-established model of four fast and four efficient cores, we now have the newly added DynamicIQ technology. Each cpu gets its own cache memory and the shared bus has access to the L3 cache.
The graphics side of things cannot be left without any changes, so here, Adreno 630 is the keyword. It is reported to be up to 30% more efficient in rendering graphics and video. Interestingly, the new graphics chip can handle a screen with a resolution of up to 2400×2400 pixels with a display frequency of 120Hz. Compared to the previous Adreno 540 chipset, it's overall performance will increase dramatically but it will also reduce the levels of power consumption.
An overview of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845's key specifications.
The Snapdragon 845 and Artificial Intelligence
New CPUs and GPUs do not only have a beneficial effect on raw performance. By combining these two parts, progress has also been made in the field of artificial intelligence. In tests, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 was up to three times better than the previous generation Snapdragon 835. For example, Artificial Intelligence can recognise the background of a photo and blur it to make professional-looking pictures. The Snapdragon 845 also includes a third-generation DSP chip with HVX - Hexagon 685, which fulfills the coprocessor function for AI. On devices running Android version 8.1 and higher, it also supports the APIs for neural networks.
Connectivity and charging information
Qualcomm has equipped the SoC with its modern new X20 5G/LTE modem, which allows a theoretical download speed of up to 1.2Gb/sec and 150Mb/sec upload. The integrated WiFi already fully supports the latest 802.11ad and 802.11ac standards. It also comes with improved Bluetooth technology, using version 5.0, which finally offers the ability to connect multiple devices of the same type at once. You can now use bluetooth headphones and bluetooth speakers all at the same time.
The Snapdragon 845 supports the latest Quick Charge 4+ standard that keeps the device cooler and is about 30% more efficient than Quick Charge 4.0. Your mobile phone will be charged to 50% in 15 minutes.
The Snapdragon 845 supports better photos and 4K video
The Snapdragon 845 chipset extends support for shooting at a 4K resolution. Unlike the previous generation, it does not focus on the maximum number of pixels, but rather on their quality. The result helps to create even more realistic images with a greater colour depth (10 bits). The camera captures an exposure range that is 64x higher. Changes were also made when recording videos. The new chipset promises 240fps in a Full HD resolution. In an HD Ready resolution it can handle up to 480fps.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset will be featured in a number of new devices early in 2018.
Qualcomm has worked hard to achieve higher levels of security
An interesting feature of the Snapdragon 845 is its Secure Processing Unit (SPU) integration. This stand-alone unit is an isolated space for safely storing your user biometrics and data. This new unit will not only save your important passwords but also the data that will help to recognise your voice, face, or fingerprint.
A comparison of the Snapdragon 845 vs the Snapdragon 835 and the 821
We have prepared a table for you that shows the noticeable differences between the last three generations of Snapdragon processors. The Snapdragon 845 is better in all key specifications. Its actual implementation now depends on the individual manufacturers.
| Comparative area | Snapdragon 845 | Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 821 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMR Cotex Kryo 385 | ARM Cortex Kryo 280 | ARM Cortex Kryo |
| CPU Frequency | 4 × 2.8 and 4 × 1.7GHz | 4 × 2,45 and 4 × 1.9GHz | 4 × 2.4GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 540 | Adreno 530 |
| SPU | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| DSP | Hexagon 685, HVX | Hexagon 682, HVX | Hexagon 680 |
| Camera | 32Mpx/16Mpx (dual) | 32Mpx/16Mpx (dual) | 28Mpx/13Mpx (dual) |
| Video | 4K Ultra HD Premium | 4K Ultra HD | 4K Ultra HD |
| Charging | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 4.0 | Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Modem | X20 LTE | X16 LTE | X12 LTE |
| Download speed | 150Mb/sec; 1200Mb/sec | 150Mb/sec; 1000Mb/sec | 150Mb/sec; 600Mb/sec |
Mobile devices and laptops with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 will be available in the early months of 2018. It is expected to be used in Xiaomi and Samsung products (primarily the Galaxy S9) and the new Snapdragon 845 powered handset is likely to be featured at CES 2018 by being introduced by Sony. Qualcomm's collaboration with another South Korean brand, LG, is also possible.