Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2: Premium Segment SoC Gets a Cortex
Today Qualcomm announces their next-generation Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 system-on-chip (SoC). This new chip is manufactured on the 5nm process node and features a new Cortex-X1 “Super core” CPU alongside improvements to the existing Adreno GPU and Snapdragon X55 5G modem. What does this mean for the next generation of Android smartphones? Let’s take a closer look.
One of the headline features of the new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is the inclusion of a new Cortex-X1 “Super core”. This is the first time that Qualcomm has used one of Arm’s new flagship CPU cores in one of their Snapdragon SoCs. The Cortex-X1 is a powerful core that is designed for peak performance. Qualcomm has paired the Cortex-X1 with three Cortex-A78 cores and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores. This gives the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 a total of eight CPU cores.
The new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 also features an improved Adreno 660 GPU. The Adreno 660 is 20% faster than the Adreno 650 GPU that is used in the current Snapdragon 865. The new GPU also supports faster displays with up to 1440p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
Another major improvement in the new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is the inclusion of the Snapdragon X55 5G modem. This modem supports 5G download speeds of up to 7Gbps and upload speeds of up to 3Gbps. The Snapdragon X55 5G modem also supports all of the major 5G frequency bands including mmWave and sub-6 GHz.
The new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is also the first Snapdragon SoC to support LPDDR5 memory. This new type of memory is faster and more power efficient than the LPDDR4X memory that is used in the current Snapdragon 865.
The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is a powerful new SoC that is designed for premium flagship smartphones. The inclusion of the new Cortex-X1 “Super core” CPU, the improved Adreno 660 GPU, and the Snapdragon X55 5G modem make this new chip a powerful performer. The new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is also the first Snapdragon SoC to support LPDDR5 memory. This new SoC will be available in devices this month.
