Snapdragon has expanded its Gen 5 lineup with the introduction of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 chips, aiming to enhance entry-level and mid-range devices. Both chips focus on improved battery life, smoother user interfaces, and better gaming performance.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 (SM6850) features the Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Qualcomm Adaptive Performance FPS 3.0, which are designed to maintain steady frame rates during gaming sessions. Additionally, Snapdragon Game Super Resolution helps upscale visuals and conserves battery life.
While detailed specifications are not fully disclosed, the CPU includes four cores operating at a clock speed of up to 2.6GHz, representing a significant performance boost—the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 had a single core with a maximum speed of 2.3GHz. The new Adreno GPU delivers 21% improved performance, and Qualcomm has also enhanced power efficiency by 8%.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 5This Gen 5 chip is manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm process, the same as its predecessor, which was the first in the 6-series. It supports LPDDR5 RAM up to 3,200MHz, along with LPDDR4X for cost-effective designs, and is designed for UFS 3.1 storage. The display adapter supports resolutions up to 1080p+ at 144Hz, but it lacks AV1 decoding hardware.
Both new chips include Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI, designed to facilitate smooth scrolling and quick app launches. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 launches applications 20% faster and features 18% less stutter compared to the Gen 4, based on Qualcomm's internal tests.
Camera capabilities have been enhanced with a dual ISP (12-bit) in the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, while the Gen 4 had a triple ISP configuration. It supports single cameras up to 200MP (single up to 64MP with Zero Shutter Lag, ZSL) or dual-cameras up to 16+16MP (compared to 32+16MP previously). Video encoding remains at 4K at 30fps, supporting both H.264 and H.265 formats.
In line with current trends, Qualcomm has integrated several AI-powered features, including AI night vision and image quality enhancements, along with up to 100x digital zoom.
Regarding connectivity, the integrated 5G modem can achieve up to 2.8Gbps downlink speeds, although it no longer supports mmWave, available in the Gen 4 chip. It now includes Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band support (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz), an upgrade to Bluetooth 6.0 (from version 5.4), and supports aptX Adaptive, though aptX Lossless support is removed.
For positioning, the chip facilitates the major satellite systems but lacks the L2 band support of its predecessor, only operating on L1 and L5 bands. Furthermore, USB-C connectivity is downgraded to USB 2.0 from the previous USB 3.2 Gen 1 in the Gen 4 chip, potentially reflecting manufacturer feedback.
Here's a comparison of the specifications for the Snapdragon 4 and 6 Gen 4 and 5:
| Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2x 2.3GHz 6x 2.0GHz | 2x 2.4GHz 6x 2.0GHz | 1x 2.3GHz 3x 2.2GHz 4x 1.8GHz | 4x 2.6GHz 4x 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 613 | +77% | Adreno 810 | +21% |
| Display | 1080p+ @ 120Hz | 1080p+ @ 144Hz | 1080p+ @ 144Hz | 1080p+ @ 144Hz |
| RAM | up to 16GB LPDDR5 3,200MHz LPDDR4X 2,133MHz | LPDDR4X 2,133MHz | up to 16GB LPDDR5 3,200MHz LPDDR4X 2,133MHz | up to 16GB LPDDR5 3,200MHz LPDDR4X 2,133MHz |
| Storage | UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | dual ISP up to 108MP | dual ISP up to 108MP | triple ISP up to 200MP | dual ISP up to 200MP |
| Video | 1080p 60fps | 4K 30fps | 4K 30fps | 4K 30fps |
| 5G | sub-6GHz 2.5Gbps | sub-6GHz 2.8Gbps Dual SIM Dual Active | sub-6GHz + mmWave 2.9Gbps | sub-6GHz 2.8Gbps |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (dual-band) | Wi-Fi 5 (dual-band) | Wi-Fi 6E (tri-band) | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.4 (aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless) | Bluetooth 6.0 (aptX Adaptive) |
| GPS | L1/L5 | L1/L5 | L1/L2/L5 | L1/L5 |
| USB | USB 3.1 | USB 2.0 | USB 3.1 | USB 2.0 |
| Charging | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 5 | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 5 |
Snapdragon 4 Gen 5
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 (SM4850) shares numerous features with its 6-series counterpart but boasts even greater performance enhancements over its predecessor. The Adreno GPU performance has surged by an impressive 77%, making this the first 4-series chip capable of supporting 90fps gaming, according to Qualcomm.
With Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI, app launches are now 43% faster with 25% less stutter compared to the Gen 4. The CPU clock speed has also increased slightly (2.4GHz vs. 2.3GHz), contributing to a 10% improvement in power efficiency.
Snapdragon 4 Gen 5However, the effects of reduced RAM standards are evident, as the Gen 4 chip supported LPDDR5 RAM up to 3,200MHz, while the new Gen 5 model only supports LPDDR4X up to 2,133MHz.
On the connectivity front, significant advancements include support for Dual SIM Dual Active 5G+4G, allowing devices to connect to two networks simultaneously. The 5G modem also achieves peak download speeds of up to 2.8Gbps (up from 2.5Gbps), benefiting from a 140MHz bandwidth in the sub-6GHz bands.
Unfortunately, local connectivity remains largely unchanged, with continued dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (ac) support and Bluetooth 5.1 featuring aptX Adaptive. The GPS functions on L1 and L5 bands.
The camera capabilities mirror those of the previous generation, featuring a dual ISP (12-bit) supporting up to 108MP (up to 32MP with ZSL). The video encoder can now process 4K resolution, and the display driver supports 1080p+ resolution with refresh rates up to 144Hz.
Upcoming Phones
The first smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 are expected to launch in the latter half of this year, with manufacturers such as Honor, Oppo, Realme, and Redmi already working on devices featuring this new silicon.
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