Qualcomm today announced three new chipsets for mid-range smartphones: the Snapdragon 625, 435 and 425. Compared to previous offerings from Qualcomm, these new chips are a big upgrade in almost every department. Not only do they support faster LTE networks, they also offer more connectivity options and better performance. As the naming scheme suggests, the Snapdragon 425 is at the very bottom of the chain of the processors unveiled today. Meant for entry level smartphones, the Snapdragon 425 is a quad-core 64-bit chipset that uses ARM’s Cortex-A53 cores. It supports full HD displays at up to 60fps and features an Adreno 308 GPU. Other key features of the chipset include dual ISPs with support for up to 16MP sensors and an integrated X6 LTE modem with carrier aggregation. https://youtu.be/Ht5gpMVk02E Next in line is the octa-core Snapdragon 435 chipset that also uses ARM’s Cortex-A53 cores. It is also the first chipset in its class to feature an integrated X8 LTE modem that supports download speeds of up to 300Mbps. Other features of the chipset include support for full HD displays at up to 60fps, dual ISPs with support for up to 21MP sensors, hybrid autofocus, and an Adreno 505 GPU. https://youtu.be/mbrnnOwzTBY Lastly, the Snapdragon 625 is the highest-rung chipset announced by Qualcomm today. It is also the first chipset in the company’s mid-range lineup to be based on the 14nm FinFET process that helps in reducing the total power consumption by up 35 percent compared to its predecessors. The Snapdragon 625 features eight Cortex-A53 cores, an integrated X9 LTE modem with 4G+ support, and supports 4K video capture and playback, dual ISPs with support for up to 24MP sensors, advanced post-processing features like re-focus and special effects, and a powerful Adreno 506 GPU. All three chipsets support quick charging, are software compatible with each other, with the Snapdragon 425 and 435 being pin compatible with each other as well. Qualcomm will start sampling the Snapdragon 425, 435 and 625 to OEMs in mid-2016, with the chipsets expected to start showing up in devices that will be unveiled in the second half of the year.
