Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (SM4450) first 4nm chipset. The Snapdragon X61 modem is the first chipset in this series to support the improved 3GPP Release 16 version of 5G.
Major Highlights
- 4nm
- LPDDR5x 3,200MHz
- up to 108MP, up to 32MP Zero Shutter Lag
- Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX)
- Quick Charge 4+
- 3.2 Gen 1
- Up to FHD+ @ 120fps
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 series details
The most recent node should offer improved overall efficiency, but Qualcomm won’t reveal the foundry. In order to provide a point of comparison, the Gen 1 chip is created by TSMC using a 6nm technology, whereas the 480 is created by Samsung using an 8nm process.
The new CPU has two 2.2GHz performance cores and six 2.0GHz efficiency cores. The SD 4 Gen 1 consequently operates 10% more effectively. There are no specifics, although the Adreno GPU supports 120 fps FHD+ displays at the same resolution.
In the second half of this year (which is almost here), the first smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor will be made by (Xiaomi) Redmi and vivo.
Significantly faster RAM, LPDDR5x (up to 3,200MHz), is used by the new processor. Also available to OEMs is UFS 3.1 (2-lane) storage for mobile devices.
Although the camera hardware has been simplified to a dual-ISP, a new feature called Multi-Camera Temporal Filtering (MCTF) has been included that enhances video noise reduction. While 720p @ 120 fps for slow motion and 1080p @ 60 fps for the highest possible video resolution, Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is an important feature of this processor.
The processor can support cameras with a maximum resolution of 108MP or up to 32MP for zero shutter lag (or 16+16MP for twin cameras). Also faster should be autofocus.
The Gen 2 chip has Quick Charge 4+, just like its predecessor, and according to Qualcomm, it can recharge a battery to 50% capacity in 15 minutes. Up to 5Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 speed is supported via the USB-C interface.
The addition of power-saving features, expanded coverage, and improved location accuracy are all part of 3GPP Release 16. The 4×4 MIMO capability of the X61 modem allows for up to 100MHz of bandwidth and speeds of up to 2.5Gbps down and 900Mbps up.
The processor only supports Wi-Fi 5 (ac) at 2.4GHz and 5GHz and Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX for audio, therefore local connectivity was regrettably not upgraded.
