Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 5: Faster GPU and efficient power draw

Qualcomm expands Snapdragon Gen 5 lineup with new mid-range and entry-level chips.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

New-gen mid-range and entry-level processors

Qualcomm has introduced two new processors, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5, bringing its fifth-generation Snapdragon architecture to the mid-range and entry-level smartphone segments. 

The company says both chips prioritize battery efficiency, interface responsiveness, and gaming performance.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 (SM6850) includes Qualcomm's Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Adaptive Performance FPS 3.0, technologies aimed at maintaining stable frame rates during gaming. A Snapdragon Game Super Resolution feature is also present for visual upscaling.

The chip's CPU features 4x cores clocked at up to 2.6GHz, a step up from the single high-performance core running at 2.3GHz in the previous generation. 

Its new Adreno GPU delivers 21% higher graphics performance, while power efficiency has improved by 8%. The chip is still made on a 4nm process node and supports LPDDR5 RAM at up to 3,200MHz, with LPDDR4X as an option. Storage relies on UFS 3.1, and the display subsystem supports up to 1080p+ at 144Hz. Hardware AV1 decoding is not included.

Qualcomm highlighted the Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI feature, which is present on both new chips.

The features

The firm said it is designed to reduce interface lag and speed up app loading. While internal testing by Qualcomm indicates 20% faster app launches and 18% less stutter compared to the Gen 4.

On the imaging side, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 uses a dual 12-bit ISP, a reduction from the triple ISP found in its predecessor, and supports single cameras up to 200MP or dual configurations up to 16+16MP. 

Video recording is capped at 4K at 30fps, unchanged from the prior generation. Several AI-assisted camera features are included, such as night vision enhancement and up to 100x digital zoom.

For connectivity, the integrated 5G modem supports peak downlink speeds of up to 2.8Gbps, though mmWave support has been removed. WiFi 7 with tri-band capability is now included, along with Bluetooth 6.0 and aptX Adaptive support, though aptX Lossless has been dropped.

 

Meanwhile, GPS coverage is limited to L1 and L5 bands, compared to L1, L2, and L5 on the Gen 4. USB connectivity has also been downgraded to USB 2.0, a step back from the USB 3.2 Gen 1 support offered by its predecessor.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5

Snapdragon 4 Gen 5

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 (SM4850) targets the entry-level tier with a more pronounced generational leap over its predecessor. 

Qualcomm states the new Adreno GPU delivers 77% higher performance than that of the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, and positions this as the first 4-series chip capable of sustaining 90fps gameplay.

App launches are said to be 43% faster, with 25% less screen stutter compared to the previous generation. The CPU is clocked slightly higher at 2.4GHz versus 2.3GHz, and the chip achieves roughly 10% better power efficiency.

One notable downgrade involves memory support. While the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 worked with LPDDR5 RAM at up to 3,200MHz, the Gen 5 model is limited to LPDDR4X at up to 2,133MHz.

Cellular connectivity sees a meaningful upgrade with support for Dual SIM Dual Active 5G, enabling simultaneous connections to two networks. 

The 5G modem reaches peak download speeds of 2.8Gbps, up from 2.5Gbps, using up to 140MHz of sub-6GHz bandwidth. Local wireless connectivity remains largely unchanged at dual-band Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.1, with aptX Adaptive now included.

The camera system uses a dual 12-bit ISP supporting sensors up to 108MP, while its video encoder has been upgraded to support 4K recording, and the display driver now handles refresh rates up to 144Hz at 1080p+, compared to 120Hz on the prior chip.

Availability

Qualcomm confirmed that HONOR, OPPO, realme, and REDMI are developing devices based on the new chipsets, with the first smartphones expected to launch in the second half of 2025.

What do you guys think?

Source: Qualcomm