Introducing Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 5: Enhanced UI, Battery Life, and Performance

Qualcomm has expanded its Gen 5 chipset family, which debuted last year with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, by announcing the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and 6 Gen 5. These latest chips target entry-level and mid-range devices, prioritizing extended battery life, a smoother user interface, and enhanced gaming capabilities.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 (SM6850) features the Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Qualcomm's Adaptive Performance FPS 3.0, which ensure consistent frame rates during gaming sessions. Additionally, Snapdragon Game Super Resolution will enhance visual quality and aid in prolonging battery life.

While core specifications remain somewhat unclear, this new CPU incorporates four cores operating at up to 2.6GHz, promising significant improvements in both single and multi-core performance compared to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, which had only one core clocked at 2.3GHz. Moreover, the Adreno GPU now delivers 21% better performance, alongside an 8% increase in power efficiency.

This generation builds on the previous one, with the Gen 4 chip being the first 6-series model manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm node technology. Although official statements on the Gen 5 chip only mention "4nm," it is likely that it uses the same manufacturing process. The 6 Gen 5 supports LPDDR5 RAM at speeds of up to 3,200MHz, while LPDDR4X is an option for more affordable designs. It is designed for UFS 3.1 storage and supports displays of up to 1080p+ at 144Hz, though it does not feature hardware support for AV1 decoding.

Both Snapdragon series offer Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI, which enables smooth scrolling and faster app launches. According to Qualcomm’s internal testing, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 launches applications 20% faster with 18% less stutter than its predecessor.

Camera capabilities also see upgrades with a dual ISP (12-bit). In comparison to the Gen 4's triple ISP, the Gen 5 supports single cameras with resolutions up to 200MP (or up to 64MP with Zero Shutter Lag) and dual cameras at 16+16MP (instead of 32+16MP). The video encoding engine can record 4K at 30 frames per second, with H.264 and H.265 formats supported.

In response to the AI trend, Qualcomm has included several AI-driven camera features, such as AI night vision, AI image quality enhancement, and up to 100x digital zoom.

On the connectivity front, the 5G modem can provide downlink speeds of up to 2.8Gbps. However, unlike the Gen 4 chip, it does not support mmWave technology. Wi-Fi 7 connectivity is now available, including tri-band support across 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. The newer chip also features Bluetooth 6.0 (an upgrade from 5.4) and retains aptX Adaptive support, although aptX Lossless functionality has been removed.

Positioning capabilities include support for major constellations but are limited to L1 and L5 bands, omitting L2, which was present in its predecessor. A possibly contentious decision is the USB-C support, downgraded to USB 2.0, whereas the Gen 4 chip could manage USB 3.2 Gen 1. This could imply that manufacturers indicated a lack of usage for USB 3 in devices utilizing Snapdragon 4 and 6 series chips.

Below is a comparative table of Snapdragon 4 and 6 Gen chips:

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 (SM4850) delivers performance enhancements similar to those of its 6-series counterpart, boasting an impressive 77% increase in Adreno GPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4. This model makes history as the first 4-series chip capable of supporting 90fps gaming, according to Qualcomm.

Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI facilitates 43% faster app launches and 25% less stutter in visuals compared to the Gen 4 chip. The CPU speed is slightly higher at 2.4GHz vs. 2.3GHz, and the refined architecture aims for a 10% improvement in power efficiency.

It is crucial to note, however, that the new 4 Gen 5 chip reflects the ongoing RAM crisis: while the Gen 4 chip supported LPDDR5 RAM at 3,200MHz, the latest model is restricted to LPDDR4X at 2,133MHz.

On the cellular side, significant connectivity upgrades include the addition of Dual SIM Dual Active 5G and the ability to connect to two networks at once. Its 5G modem achieves peak download speeds of 2.8Gbps (up from 2.5Gbps) by utilizing 140MHz of bandwidth in the sub-6GHz bands.

Unfortunately, improvements in local connectivity are minimal, with dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (ac) and Bluetooth 5.1 still in place, albeit now with aptX Adaptive support included. GPS functionality is limited to L1 and L5 bands.

Camera support remains fairly consistent, featuring a dual ISP (12-bit) capable of handling up to 108MP (or 32MP with Zero Shutter Lag). The good news is that the video encoder has been upgraded to support 4K recording. Displays can now achieve higher refresh rates of up to 144Hz compared to the previous 120Hz.

Upcoming Devices

The first smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 are expected to launch in the second half of this year. Qualcomm has announced that manufacturers such as Honor, Oppo, Realme, and Redmi are working on devices featuring this new silicon.

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