Qualcomm is one of the leading manufacturer of semiconductor chips in world and is popularly known for its Snapdragon mobile chip sets. Currently there are 19 different Snapdragon processors under the 400, 600 and 800 product series and it covers all the smartphones from entry level to high end flagship devices. On 24 May, 2018 Qualcomm launched its 700 product series with Snapdragon 710 SoC. It is aimed to power latest mid-range smartphones.
Generally, Snapdragon 660 was used widely in mid-range phones and Snapdragon 845 in latest high-end flagship phones. Basically, you can understand 710 as somewhere in between 660 and 845. Qualcomm has enhanced 660 with some specifications of 845 and created this powerful 710 chipset.
Comparison of Snapdragon 660, 710 & 845 chips:
Snapdragon 660 | Snapdragon 770 | Snapdragon 845 |
14 nm | 10nm | 10nm |
Kyro 260 | Kyro 360 | Kyro 385 |
X12, 3x CA, 600 Mbps DL | X15, 3x CA, 800 Mbps DL | X20, 5x CA, 1.2 Gbps DL |
802.11 ac, 2×2 MIMO | 802.11 ac, 2×2 MIMO | 802.11 ad, 2×2 MIMO |
Adreno 512 | Adreno 616 | Adreno 630 |
Spectra 160 | Spectra 250 | Spectra 280 |
Hexagon 680 | Hexagon 685 | Hexagon 685 |
QHD, 8 Layer | QHD+ 10 Layer, 4K HDR Playback | Ultra HD Premium |
Quick Charge 4+ | QuickCharge 4+ | QuickCharge 4+ |
Snapdragon 710 mobile platform is designed to support next generation AI with highly efficient architecture. Following improvements are made in this latest chip over the 600-tier:
Artificial Intelligence
This new platform is powered by multi-core AI Engine which offers 2X performance improvements as compared to 660 chip. It offers improvements in wide-range of applications from voice-based UI to photography and biometrics.
Enhanced Camera Performance
It has Spectra 250 ISP which greatly enhances image processing for mid-range devices and inherits most of the features found in high-end devices. It is designed to deliver resolutions up to 32MP single ISP and 20MP dual ISP.
4K HDR Playback
SD 710 are the first chips to support 4K HDR playback outside the Qualcomm’s flagship offerings. It brings greater enhancements in brightness, color gamut and color depth for an unmatched visual quality.
Advanced Connectivity
SD 710 chips features X15 modem which offers faster LTE speed than X12 modem present in 600 series chips. Here signal strength is improved considerably with download speeds of up to 800 Mbps.
It also offers improvements in wireless technologies for an enhanced wire-free experience.
Superior Performance & Battery
This latest platform from Qualcomm features the new Kryo 360 architecture built on ARM Cortex technology, this uplifts performance by 20% compared to SD 660. Moreover, it offers 25% faster web browsing and 15% faster app launch time.
Additionally, the devices based on Snapdragon 710 chip will be more power-efficient due to enhanced Adreno 616 Visual Processing Subsystem architecture. These devices can expect up to 40% reduction in power consumption while gaming and 4K HDR video playback and 20% reduction in power consumption when streaming video.
You can get a 50% battery charge within 15 minutes with the latest Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology.
Wrapping Up:
Snapdragon 710 is something that isn’t a flagship chip but is more powerful than the existing mid-range options offered until now. It offers 20% performance boost compared to Snapdragon 660 chip with a dramatic reduction in power consumption. It is most likely to be available in smartphones from brands like Xiaomi or Vivo.
Qualcomm has still not named an OEM that will use this chip, but it is expected to power devices launched in second quarter of 2018.