Qualcomm released the new high-end SoC in December, the Snapdragon 855. Snapdragon SoCs that will serve the midrange segment were still waiting. But don’t wait any longer, because Qualcomm has shown a new example in the United States. These are SoCs that should serve as successors to mid-range SoCs from 2018, starting with the Snapdragon 660 SoC. This will be replaced by the Snapdragon 665, which will probably again be popular among smartphone manufacturers. The Snapdragon 730 SoC also appears as second, which should serve as a replacement for the 710. That is also the first Qualcomm SoC on its 8nm process.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
Let’s start with the Snapdragon 665 SoC. The biggest difference with its predecessor has to do with the process, which has been changed from 14 to 11 nm. Furthermore, the processor cores are still the same, with four Cortex A73 cores and four Cortex A53 calculation cores. There is a faster Adreno 610 GPU and with the new Spectra 165 it is possible to connect two 16 MP cameras or a single 25 MP sensor.
The modem has still not changed, so we are dealing with the Snapdragon X12 modem, with a maximum download speed of 600 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 150 Mbps. In terms of speed gain, there will not be much for the Snapdragon 665.
Snapdragon 730 and 730G
If we look at the Snapdragon 730 SoC, it is first of all clear that two variants will appear. This will be in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 and 730G. In the case of the G version, the GPU will have a higher maximum clock speed (15 percent higher). The processor is aimed at gamers who purchase midrange smartphones.
As indicated earlier, the two processors are made on the 8nm process. Just like with the existing (SD710) version, there are six ‘economical’ Cortex A55 cores present together with two fast Cortex A76 cores, which you can find in the Snapdragon 855. There is also a slightly newer GPU, the Adreno 618.
For the cameras, the differences are again marginal, with a Spectra 350 ISP. With this, one 36 MP camera can be placed, or two 22 MP cameras. The Snapdragon X15 modem remains unchanged for the connection, with download speeds of up to 800 Mbps. Uploading is up to 150 Mbps.
When we will see the new SoCs in smartphones is not yet known. Qualcomm indicates that the first phones with the new Snapdragon 655 and 730 (G) SoCs will appear in mid-2019. Although I have a vague suspicion that the 730G will not be seen very often.
