Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 mobile platforms, designed to enhance entry-level and mid-tier device performance. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 will support 90 FPS gameplay for the first time in its series, while the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 aims for improved overall performance and battery life along with flagship-level connectivity specifications.
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 chipset delivers a 77% improvement in Adreno GPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4. Qualcomm claimed that the new chipset enables app launches that are 43% faster and reduces screen stutter by 25%. Additionally, it achieves 10% better power efficiency, allowing for an extra hour of video streaming.
This chipset introduces Release 17 5G support and Dual SIM Dual Active functionality for simultaneous use of 5G on two SIM cards. It consists of two 2.4GHz performance cores and six 2.0GHz efficiency cores, along with Wi-Fi 5 networking and aptX Adaptive support for 96kHz lossless music streaming.
Moving to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, it features four 2.6GHz performance cores and four 2.0GHz efficiency cores, manufactured using a 4nm process node. This chipset offers a 21% GPU improvement over the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 platform. It incorporates Qualcomm’s Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 for enhanced gaming resource management and includes tools for Game Super Resolution and steady frame rates.
Qualcomm indicated that the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 delivers an 8% increase in battery life, translating to two extra hours of video streaming. It also boasts 20% quicker app launches and an 18% reduction in screen stutter when compared to its predecessor. One notable feature is “Intelligent Night Vision” technology aimed at improving low-light photography and video quality.
For connectivity, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 supports XPAN for the first time and is built with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 capabilities alongside Release 17 5G support. It utilizes Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) technology for enhanced bandwidth management.
Qualcomm confirmed that the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 will appear in devices from OPPO, realme, and Redmi, while the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 will be featured in devices from Honor and Redmi. Launch dates for these chipsets in new devices remain undisclosed.
