Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is an oddly-named follow-up to last year’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. Not only is Qualcomm signaling that this is a next-gen processor, but it’s also giving it the plus moniker, despite never having released a Snapdragon 7 Gen 2.
But it might actually have the performance-chops to justify the new name. Qualcomm says the new chip offers up to twice the graphics and AI performance and up to 40-percent faster CPU performance while also bringing a 13-percent improvement in energy efficiency. The first smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 should arrive before the end of the month.
According to Qualcomm, the new processor has an octa-core CPU featuring:
- 1 x ARM Cortex-X2 Prime core @ up to 2.91 GHz
- 3 x Performance cores @ up to 2.49 GHz
- 4 x Efficiency cores @ up to 1.8 GHz
That’s a big bump up from the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which had a 2.4 GHz Cortex-A710 Prime core, three more Cortex-A710 Performance cores at 2.36 GHz, and four 1.8 GHz Cortex-A510 Efficiency cores.
Essentially Qualcomm has taken the Performance core you’d normally find in a Snapdragon 8-series chip and put it in the most powerful 7-series processor to date.
Other upgrades include an 18-bit triple image signal processor (up from 14-bit in the previous-gen), a FastConnect 6900 wireless system (up from 6700), faster Adreno graphics, and support for phones with up to a 4K/60 Hz display or QHD+ screens with refresh rates up to 120 Hz (up from QHD+/60 Hz and FHD+/144Hz).
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 | |
| CPU | 1 x Cortex-A710 core @ 2.4 GHz 3 x Cortex-A710 cores @ 2.36 GHz 4 x Cortex-A510 cores @ 1.8 GHz | 1 x Cortex-X2 @ 2.91 GHz 3 x Cortex-A710 cores @ 2.49 GHz 4 x Cortex-A510 cores @ 1.8 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno (unspecified) | Adreno (unspecified) |
| DSP | Hexagon (unspecified) | Hexagon (unspecified) |
| ISP | Triple Spectra 14-bit ISP Up to 200MP (single-camera) Up to 25MP (triple-camera, ZSL) Up to 64MP + 20MP (dual camera, ZSL) | Triple Spectra 18-bit ISP Up to 200MP (single-camera) Up to 32MP (triple-camera, ZSL) Up to 64MP + 36MP (dual camera, ZSL) |
| Memory | LPDDR5-3200 | LPDDR5-3200 |
| Display resolution | FHD+ @ 144Hz QHD+ @ 60 Hz | QHD+ @ 120Hz 4K @ 60 Hz |
| Wireless | Snapdragon X62 5G modem FastConnect 6700 | Snapdragon X62 5G modem 5G/4G DSDA (dual-sim, dual-active) FastConnect 6900 |
| Node | Samsung 4nm | TSCM 4NM |
| Availability | Q2, 2022 | Q2, 2023 |
Qualcomm says phones powered by a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor can support cameras up to 200MP, can combine info from a burst of 30 images for better low-light photography, and can capture staggered HDR video.
There’s also support for AI Super Resolution technology to upscale games or photos from 1080p to 4K resolution. And the phone has a Snapdragon X62 modem supports 4G and 5G dual-SIM, dual-active connectivity with support for mmWave and sub-6 GHz networks and support for download speeds up to 4.4 Gbps.
Some of the first phones powered by the chip will come from Chinese companies including Realme and Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi. But we’ll probably see additional Snapdragon 7+ Gen 1-powered devices in the coming months.
Wow.
That’s amazing. It’s the same degree of upgrade we saw when Qualcomm made the upgrade from the special QSD 768G+ to the lowly QSD 778. As a reference; that previous midrange could barely compete against the ancient QSD 845, with most of its brothers being even slower, to a newer midrange chipset which was outperforming the legendary QSD 855, a chipset that was a heel-toe behind the then-flagship QSD 888 chipset. That was a huge upgrade, and this is the same thing happening.
It seems Dimensity chipsets were getting pretty competitive there, hence Qualcomm has stepped up. For those that didn’t understand, this is the new “flagship grade” chipset. It’s great to see this performance and efficiency for customers, as a midrange/cheaper/better value.
It should outperform an overclocked QSD 870, which I used to call “flagship grade”. All the while, this shouldn’t have any throttling issues like we saw with the QSD 888, QSD 88+, or it’s newer cousin the dreaded QC 8g1.
This is essentially the same chipset as the QC 8g1+ but it’s clocked 10% lower. RIP the Sony Xperia 5 mk IV. I would hesitate to call that an upgrade, ditto for the new QC 8g2 as well. The only reason to NOT get this chipset would be because of the QC 8g3 in 2024 which is an upcoming new standard, and a huge upgrade for Android devices.