On the second day of the technology summit, Qualcomm once again took the spotlight with its Snapdragon 845 processor. Today, I’ll dive deeper into what makes this chip so special and why it’s generating so much excitement in the tech world.
Back in 1999, the first 3G mobile phone hit the market, and in 2007, the first mobile device featuring an Opteron processor was introduced. Since then, Qualcomm has continuously evolved, reaching the peak of the communications industry with 4G. In the last fiscal year alone, they sold around 800 million Opteron processors globally, with over 120 different products available for them. The widespread adoption of the Snapdragon series is a testament to Qualcomm’s strong technological foundation. In fact, they invest over $1 billion in R&D every quarter. For example, the Snapdragon 845 was actually developed three years ago, showing how far ahead the company plans.
As mentioned yesterday, the Snapdragon 835 focused on "user experience, innovation, immersive experience, artificial intelligence, security, connectivity, and performance." This trend continues with the new 845, which brings even more improvements across the board.
Let’s start with the overall architecture. The Snapdragon 845 uses a 10nm LPP process, featuring an Adreno 630 GPU, X20 LTE modem, Spectra 280 ISP for video, Hexagon 685 DSP, Qualcomm Aqstic Audio for sound quality, and a Kryo 385 CPU that includes four 2.8GHz big cores (A75) and four 1.8GHz small cores (A53), along with a 2MB cache. It also includes a dedicated memory and a secure processing unit.
**Snapdragon 845 Core Architecture**
Like the previous generation, the 845 still uses Samsung’s 10nm process. It features the Kryo 385 CPU, with 2MB cache, consisting of four 2.8GHz A75 cores and four 1.8GHz A53 cores. The core performance is up to 25–30% higher than the previous generation, while the small cores offer a 15% improvement.
**Kryo 385 CPU**
The GPU has been upgraded to Adreno 630, which Qualcomm calls the Vision Processing Subsystem. It offers 30% better graphics performance, 2.5x faster throughput, and 30% lower power consumption. Connectivity is also improved with the X20 LTE modem, supporting up to 1.2 Gbps download speeds, dual SIM 4G VoLTE, and 11ac WiFi with speeds up to 16x.
**Adreno 630**
While many users are curious about benchmark scores and power efficiency, Qualcomm has shifted focus to real-world performance improvements. The 845 emphasizes immersive experiences, especially through its support for XR (Extended Reality), which includes VR, AR, and MR. It’s the first mobile platform to support room-scale 6DoF and SLAM for obstacle avoidance.
The Adreno Vision Focus feature helps reduce power consumption and improve visual quality, making XR applications smoother and more efficient.
**Ultra HD Premium quality video capture and viewing**
The Spectra 280 ISP is now the second generation, offering 10-bit color depth and support for the Rec.2020 wide color gamut. This means more vivid and detailed images, especially when capturing scenes like the sky, where subtle color variations are crucial.
The ISP is hardware-accelerated, enabling advanced video features such as dynamic and static frame combinations for more creative shooting options.
**Built-in independent security processing unit SPU**
One of the most notable features of the 845 is the SPU (Security Processing Unit), an independent security chip that stores sensitive data like biometric information and banking details. This adds an extra layer of security, making devices equipped with the 845 more secure.
**Built-in independent SPU security processing unit**
The SPU has its own power supply and flash memory, ensuring that even if the main system is compromised, the security data remains safe. This feature will also be integrated into future Snapdragon PCs.
In terms of battery life, the 845 supports QC4.0 fast charging, allowing users to charge their devices to 50% in just 15 minutes. Additionally, AI-powered power management extends battery life significantly, with 4K video playback lasting up to 4 hours and wireless VR sessions lasting over 3 hours.
**AI Support via CPU, GPU, and DSP**
Unlike Huawei’s Kirin 970, which includes a dedicated NPU, the 845 relies on a comprehensive AI framework across its CPU, GPU, and DSP. This approach allows for more flexible and optimized AI execution, with performance three times that of the Snapdragon 835.
Qualcomm also supports major AI frameworks like TensorFlow Lite and ONNX, making it easier for developers to implement AI features on their devices.
**AI is supported by CPU, GPU and DSP**
While there are differences in speed compared to Apple or Huawei’s AI chips, Qualcomm focuses on kernel optimization and efficient task distribution, ensuring balanced performance across various AI applications.
Overall, the Snapdragon 845 represents a major leap forward in mobile computing, combining powerful hardware, enhanced AI capabilities, and top-tier security features. It's no wonder that it's becoming the go-to processor for high-end smartphones and beyond.
Shaanxi Xinlong Metal Electro-mechanical Co., Ltd. , https://www.cnxlalloys.com