Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 5 Launch: Enhanced Performance and Efficiency

Snapdragon introduced its Gen 5 chips last year with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Now, the company is expanding this generation to the entry-level and mid-range markets with the Snapdragon 4 and 6 series. Both chipsets focus on improving battery life, delivering a smoother user interface, and enhancing gaming performance.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

The key features of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 (SM6850) include Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Qualcomm Adaptive Performance FPS 3.0, which are designed to provide consistent frame rates during gaming sessions. The inclusion of Snapdragon Game Super Resolution allows for visual upscaling while also extending battery life.

While the core specifications remain somewhat unclear, the CPU comprises four cores clocked at up to 2.6GHz, offering a notable increase in both single and multi-core performance, especially compared to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, which featured only one core running at a maximum of 2.3GHz. The new Adreno GPU boasts a 21% performance improvement, while power efficiency has improved by 8%.

The Gen 4 chip was the first 6-series model manufactured on TSMC's 4nm node. Although the official information for Gen 5 only specifies "4nm," it is reasonable to assume it also utilizes this node. Like its predecessor, this chip supports LPDDR5 RAM at speeds of up to 3,200MHz, with LPDDR4X available for more economical designs. Moreover, the chip is optimized for UFS 3.1 storage. Its display adapter can support resolutions of up to 1080p+ at 144Hz, but it does not yet include AV1 decoding hardware.

Both chipsets are equipped with a feature known as Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI, which aims to create a smooth scrolling experience, eliminate lag, and expedite app launches. According to Qualcomm's internal testing, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 launches apps 20% faster and experiences 18% less stuttering compared to the Gen 4 chip.

Moving on to camera capabilities, Qualcomm has implemented a dual ISP (12-bit) in the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, as opposed to the triple ISP found in the Gen 4. It supports single cameras of up to 200MP (up to 64MP with Zero Shutter Lag) or dual-camera setups of 16+16MP (compared to 32+16MP in Gen 4). The video encoding engine continues to support 4K at 30fps, with no significant changes—handling H.264 and H.265.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, the chip includes various AI-powered camera enhancements such as AI night vision, AI image quality improvements, and an impressive 100x digital zoom.

Regarding connectivity, the 5G modem can achieve up to 2.8Gbps downlink speeds; however, it lacks mmWave support, previously a feature of the Gen 4. On the local front, Wi-Fi 7 is supported with tri-band connectivity (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz). The new chip also includes Bluetooth 6.0 (an upgrade from 5.4) and supports aptX Adaptive, although aptX Lossless support has been removed.

For positioning, the chip can connect to major satellite constellations but again shows an omission, as it only works with L1 and L5 bands, while the Gen 4 also supported L2.

Another questionable change is that USB-C support has been reduced to USB 2.0 speeds, whereas the Gen 4 chip could accommodate USB 3.2 Gen 1. It is unclear why this change has occurred, but it may relate to manufacturer feedback regarding its usage.

Below is a table comparing the Gen 4 and Gen 5 chips:

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 (SM4850) showcases many of the same features as its 6-series counterpart, offering even greater performance gains over its predecessor. The Adreno GPU performance has increased by an impressive 77% compared to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, making this the first 4-series chip capable of handling 90fps gaming, according to Qualcomm.

Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI promises to deliver 43% faster app launches and reduces screen stutter by 25% compared to Gen 4. The CPU clock speed has been slightly increased (2.4GHz compared to 2.3GHz), with a refined design enabling a 10% improvement in power efficiency.

Nonetheless, the effects of the current RAM situation are apparent—a shift from LPDDR5 RAM at up to 3,200MHz in the Gen 4 to LPDDR4X at up to 2,133MHz in the new Gen 5.

Cellular connectivity has seen a significant upgrade, with support for Dual SIM Dual Active 5G + 5G/4G, enabling phones to connect to two networks simultaneously. The 5G modem now supports peak download speeds of up to 2.8Gbps (up from 2.5Gbps) by utilizing 140MHz bandwidth (increased from 100MHz) in sub-6GHz bands.

Unfortunately, local connectivity has seen minimal upgrades, still utilizing dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.1, now with aptX Adaptive. GPS supports the L1 and L5 bands.

The camera technology remains largely unchanged, featuring a dual ISP (12-bit) that supports cameras up to 108MP (up to 32MP with ZSL). The video encoder can now handle 4K resolution. The display driver supports a 1080p+ resolution with an enhanced refresh rate of up to 144Hz (an increase from 120Hz).

Devices Launching in Upcoming Months

The first devices featuring the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 are expected to debut in the second half of this year. Qualcomm has confirmed that Honor, Oppo, Realme, and Redmi are among the manufacturers developing phones equipped with this new silicon.