Qualcomm has announced a new 700-series chip, the Snapdragon 780G 5G, which is intended to serve devices in the premium mid-range tier.
Media reports are calling the chip the mid-range version of Qualcomm’s 2021 flagship component, the Snapdragon 888, due to its focus on further improved image quality, gaming prowess, and many of the connectivity features that are already standard in the high end. It also introduces the 5nm infrastructure to Qualcomm’s premium mid-range.
The Snapdragon 780G 5G follows the Snapdragon 765G chip, which powered many notable 2020 devices, including the Pixel 5 and OnePlus Nord. Many believe the manufacturers may use the 780G 5G in similar smartphones throughout 2021. Devices using the chip are set to be announced starting in the second quarter of 2021.
Qualcomm has highlighted its Spectra 570 triple ISP, 6th-gen Qualcomm AI engine, and WiFi 6 among the top features on the Snapdragon 780G 5G. This essentially equates to triple camera support for devices; more intuitive functions for tasks, including noise control, voice assistant interactions, photography, and gaming; and top wireless speeds.
The ISP, in particular, brings support for 10-bit color; HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, an 84-megapixel single camera with zero shutter lag (or 192-megapixel camera without the shutter lag feature enabled).
The component manufacturer also showcased its latest Elite Gaming features, such as True 10-bit HDR gaming and 144Hz refresh rates for displays. Its FastConnect 6900 Connectivity System helps enable up to 3.6 Gbps Wi-Fi 6 speeds with low latency. Additional Wi-Fi 6E support allows for top 6 GHz speeds in various international markets.
Hardware components on the SoC include a Kryo 670 CPU with a 2.4 GHz clock speed and Adreno 642 GPU, in addition to a Snapdragon X53 5G Modem with 3.3 Gbps on sub-6 GHz frequencies. Many note the chip does not include mmWave 5G frequencies, which are necessary to use devices on the Verizon network.
Other features include USB 3.1. USB-C, Bluetooth 5.2, Quick Charge 4+, and Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic and 3D Sonic Max fingerprint sensors.
