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Qualcomm announces three new Snapdragon SoCs

by on11 February 2016


Advanced Modem, Imaging and Sensors for Mainstream Devices

Qualcomm has introduced three new next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

Dubbed the Snapdragon 625, 435 and 425, the company said that the new processors are designed to deliver some of the functions of pricier models to cheaper models including camera, video, gaming and connectivity, to the broader smartphone ecosystem.

All of these new Snapdragon processors have LTE with carrier aggregation, Snapdragon All Mode, support for 802.11ac with MU-MIMO, dual camera image signal processors (ISPs), Qualcomm TruSignal technology for improved call reliability, Qualcomm Hexagon DSP for power efficient audio with sensor hub which meets Android M sensor requirements, Qualcomm Quick Charge, and a comprehensive reference design.

The Snapdragon 435 and 425 are pin compatible with each other and with the Snapdragon 430. Snapdragon 635, 435 and 425 are software compatible.

Snapdragon 625

This is the first in its class of Snapdragon processors to use 14 nm FinFET technology which gives a 35 percent reduction in power consumption compared to the previous generation.

It incorporates an octa-core ARM Cortex -A53 CPU and includes an integrated X9 LTE modem, supporting 4G+. This gives peak upload speeds of 150 Mbps.

The X9 LTE modem supports faster sharing of the superior videos and photos made possible by the Snapdragon 625 processor’s, premium-tier camera capabilities. These include superior 4K high-efficiency video coding recording and playback.

It supports dual high-resolution cameras, 24 megapixel photos, and up to 13 megapixel selfies, supporting higher quality, low light snapshots and advanced post-processing features such as re-focus, advanced editing and special effects. The 625 supports PC-class graphics with the Qualcomm Adreno 506 graphics processing unit (GPU), which is designed to support the Vulkan API.

Snapdragon 435


The new Snapdragon 435 integrates an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and is the first in its class to integrate the X8 LTE modem, supporting 4G+, with 2x20 MHz carrier aggregation for faster downlink (up to 300 Mbps) and uplink (up to 100 Mbps) LTE speeds. It supports a smooth 1080p user interface with 60 frames per-second, dual ISPs enabling 21 megapixel photos and advanced features like hybrid autofocus and is a leader in image quality in this tier. It also includes the Adreno 505 GPU for PC-class graphics.

Snapdragon 425

The Snapdragon 425 aims to provide solid upgrade path for the Snapdragon 410 and 412 customers with a 64-bit, quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU, an Adreno 308 GPU, and HD display at 60 frames per-second.

The dual ISPs enabling 16 megapixel photos support an improved camera and video experience. Several premium computer vision features are supported for the first time in this Snapdragon tier enabling advanced visual experiences.

The 425 also includes an integrated X6 LTE modem with 2x10 MHz carrier aggregation and upload speeds up to 75 Mbps with 64-QAM to allow for cost-effective smartphones designed with high-speed LTE connectivity for China and emerging regions.

These next-generation high and low-tier processors in the Snapdragon family are expected to be sampling to customers in mid-2016 and are expected in commercial devices in the second half of this year.

Last modified on 11 February 2016
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