Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Smartphones

One of the most powerful processors for smartphones finally came out. Its digital designation was known for a long time - 845, but the list of smartphones that work for this chip is still incomplete. However, we can tell something interesting now.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 64GB

One of the most important novelties of the season has become newest samsung Galaxy S9, which, however, was not revolutionary, which would not tell about his predecessor Galaxy S8. The design of the case has been updated, but in general the brand is guessed instantly.

Smartphone has become more powerful, he has better cameraThe additional functionality appeared.

On the majority galaxy markets S9 comes with brand exynos processor 9810, however, in some countries it can be found on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. russian market This version is not supplied (at the time of writing an article), so be careful.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 + 64 GB

The same S9, only with an increased up to 6.2 inches display (Galaxy S9, the screen diagonal is 5.8 inches). Another difference is a double rear camera, and not single.

As in the previous case, the version with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor is officially not supplied to us.

ASUS Zenfone 5Z.

But I. new flagship from asus - 5z. There is also a version of ASUS Zenfone 5, but it is built on the basis of a less powerful processor - Snapdragon 636, and Snapdragon 845 is used in Zenfone 5Z.

As you can see, the smartphone has a cramless case, but the company decided to go along the way of Apple and used a small cutout at the top of the screen, where the sensors and the camera are located. Reminds the iPhone X. Behind the similarity too, there is - the camera module is located vertically.

But the amount of RAM is as much as 8 GB.

Sony Xperia XZ2.

The flagship Sony, as expected, received Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. The amount of memory is 4 GB of operational and 64 GB of internal.

The design of the case is curious, and therefore is a 5.7-inch display. Dimensions are small. Appeared wireless chargerthat can not but rejoice.

Most of all in the eye rushes fully updated case design.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

Top a new version Compact. And if the diagonal of the smartphone of the previous generation was 4.6 inches, then now - 5 inches. But the dimensions are still small by reducing the framework.

As in the case of Xperia XZ2, the design is completely new.

The manufacturer in both models abandoned the minijack - for headphones is used uSB port Type-c.

What else?

The following devices are expected on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor:

• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

• LG G7 / G7 +

• Xiaomi Mi 7.

• HTC U12 / U12 +

• Samsung Galaxy Note. 9

• Nokia 10.

• OnePlus 6.

• Xiaomi Mi Mix 3

It is very unusual to argue about a stagnant in smart processors. "Why is it stagnant?", Associate the owners of computers who have Intel almost idle and gave "a whole 5% speed of speed" once a year, while the only competitor, AMD, hopelessly behind. "The reviewer was laced or does not know what he says!" The owners of Xiaomi smartphones will chant and wax the results of the benchmarks. And I do not argue that the tsiferki in the measurement of the speed of work is growing from year to year. The problem is that processors in non-flagship mobile phones are similar to among themselves, as the tariffs of the big triple cellular operators In Russia, and the same "Proudhli" in its essence.

You buy, for example, food for cat, and look at the packaging friskies, felix, Purina One and Darling ... and this is all the work of the same Nestle concern, which slightly changes the recipe, twists different advertising for different feeds, and faces these varieties in Different packaging. In the processors of smartphones, the differences are even less.

For a long time there was no reason to talk about innovations in low-cost processors. Now it is

First, because all smart processors (systems on the chip, if scientifically speaking) are released on the same TSMC or Samsung plants. That is, on the same "machines" stamps chips with minimal differences, and then they leave customers and get the headache of Hisilicon, MediaTek, Qualcomm or Samsung. How different the final price of the smartphone with the same processor can be, you and you know.

Secondly, even the "recipe" of creating a chip for a smartphone from different manufacturers to an indecent one. Each manufacturer of smartphones buys, relatively speaking, "drawings" of processor cores, at the British company ARM (saw the word "Cortex" in the processor description? That's something and it!). And then it is simply determined how these kernels "to take out" so that the smartphone does not overheat, did not explode, and the buyer did not get too good cheap smartphone - Otherwise it will not be possible to unwind it on a new purchase.

Graphics (analogue of the video card) Manufacturers are ordered from the "Semi-" Imagination Technologies (PowerVR), but rarely. Or, almost always, for the same ARM (Mali), that is, with their own hands, do not do almost nothing. And in low-cost smartphones, the situation looks even more dull.

King Cortex-A53 and no power replaceability

To understand how everything is launched with mobile chips, back in 2014. From the columns and mobile phones on the streets playing Pharell Williams. The Olympic Games, iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 - the newest and most steep smartphones. And four-core processors Snapdragon 801 are the best among all chips in Android.

But the flagships are limited quantity, and the people give cheaper smartphones. Therefore, "our all" in the smartphone, Qualcomm and MediaTek, "give birth" processors with eight new cost-effective cores, Cortex-A53 (Snapdragon 615 and MT6752). Such a filling, if you remember, was in the first generation of Samsung Galaxy A7, Honor 5x, ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser and other minerals now raritets. Smartphones that translated into a modern course would cost 23-30 thousand rubles.

The initiative was so successful that the creators of processors "continued in the same spirit" and began to establish the same inexpensive processors in expensive smartphones in 2015. For example, HTC wanted to have one A9 based on Snapdragon 615 and with a dead battery of 2150 mAh (do not laugh, such characteristics) people paid 40 thousand rubles. Huawei for the flagship Mate S on the basis of the processor with the same eight cheap nuclei (but already in Kirin 935) asks over 40 thousand rubles. It was the period of peeled cheese, when a low-power solder was sold on flagship prices.

The same Cortex-A53 kernels are walked in middle-class smartphones since 2014

Only in January 2016 Xiaomi put in place of greedy competitors and installed Snapdragon 616 (a little accelerated processor Sample 2014) in the cheap smartphone Redmi. 3. A year after the adventure of the manufacturers of smartphones, the processors finally found themselves in their place - in the fastest budget mobile mobile phones.

Qualcomm On the soil of this tragedy, it was really new, very powerful Snapdragon 650 (4 core Cortex-A53 + 2 new kernels Cortex-A72) and 652 (4x Cortex-A53 + 4X Cortex-A72). Cools were processors for their time - powerful, modern, created on the stands of the flagship Snapdragon 810 (2015), but with less heating and power consumption. Only here prices are almost inadequate to all models with them (LG G5 SE for 50 thousand rubles, HTC 10 Lifestyle for 45 thousand rubles), "The people" they went only with smartphones Xiaomi. MI MAX and REDMI Note 3 Pro and new items almost met.

Truly new and powerful processors Snapdragon 650 and 652 went to the people with Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro and Mi Max

Since then, Qualcomm has returned (and MediaTek, Samsung Exynos and Huawei Hisilicon did not stop) to the operation of three-year-old Cortex-A53 nuclei in overclocked mode. Overclocking (increasing frequency, the number of gigahertz) with the transition to a new process (from 28 to 14 nm) and new "production machines" was made easily. With a thick layer of chocolate protection against overheating and with reduced power consumption, all eight nuclei dispersed to the limit (the difference in the benchmarks has become almost double) and installed a new one, twice the faster video inspector. This miracle from us Snapdragon 625 is called and, like Ivan Urgant, takes part everywhere where it is necessary, and where it is not necessary too. In Options with acceleration (Snapdragon 626), or new "Wi-Fi-Bluetooth", 4G modem and RAM (SNAPDRAGON 630), so far, in the fall of 2017, installed in the inadequate smartphones (ASUS Zenfone 4 for 33 thousand rubles, Motorola Z2 Play for 35 thousand). To sell a morally outdated design for many years, almost unchanged under the slogan "you can not get anywhere" - this is a very Russian tradition. It is strange that it was adopted by American Qualcomm, Korean Exynos (model 7880) and Chinese Hisilicon (Circus with an attempt to "pull" budget KIRIN 650 to the middle class continues in KIRIN 655 and 659). MediaTek is also lying fool, but it can be justified for the scandalous low prices for 10-core powerful Helio (owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and Meizu MX6 / Pro 6 know what we are talking about). Even taking into account the fact that to reduce prices to the Chinese chipmeiker had not from a good life.

I hope that you did not fall asleep from long and tedious entry, but otherwise I could not explain what the new 636 chipset is so important.

For those who asked "even cheaper!"

From the previous paragraph, you have already understood how much the situation with the processors of the level "slightly higher than the economy class" became, so everyone was waiting for breakthroughs, surprises from "big twos" (Qualcomm and MediaTek). From MediaTek was waiting for the next seasonal sales of the flagship 10-nuclear Helio, now already Helio X30 with a modern technical process (less level of heating and greater efficiency, and not in Helio X20 / X25) so that they began to begin to appear in the available mobile phones. But it did not happen - Meizu Pro 7 Plus on the basis of such Helio, even in China costs 25-30 thousand, for which you can buy a real flagship smartphone With the "best of the best" Snapdragon 835.

In Qualcomm, enthusiasts believed when the announcement of Snapdragon 660 was held. "Finally, we will give us the performance of the level of last year's flagships at a low price!", Gicks were happy. And in part, these predictions came true if we talk about the order of mobile phones from China - Snapdragon 660 began to install in ASUS Zenfone 4 Ze554KL (28 thousand rubles) and Xiaomi Mi Note 3 (23 thousand rubles) - the reference middle-class reference smartphones with a good chamber.

For six months of smartphones on the new Snapdragon, there was little, but this is just the beginning

But the beautiful replacement of the "8 cortex-A53 nuclei and the dead graphics" who pursue us since 2014, from Snapdragon 660 did not come out - in Russia Zenfone 4 with Snapdragon 660 rolls well for 30 thousand, and Mi Note 3 is not even going to sell, Because "it turns out too expensive, they will not buy." Whether the eight-year miracle will fall into the future Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, it is also not clear, but it is clear that you really cheap mobile phones on the basis of Snapdragon 660, with the exception of Xiaomi, you should not wait.

And then Qualcomm does an unexpected "Fint" and releases Snapdragon 636 ...

Everything like in a cool processor, but in small doses

In contrast to all modern processors The middle class, Snapdragon 636 did not "inflated" from the cheap model, and "cut" from the road. Qualcomm took all the same Snapdragon 660 and lowered the figures gradually in each of the characteristics.

The same 8 fast kernels of Kryo 260, of which 4 nuclei - converted to a new way powerful Cortex-A73, and 4 more - in the same way customized cost-effective Cortex-A53. Only now the maximum frequency of the fastest nuclei can be a maximum of 1.8 GHz. That is, the processor part lost approximately 20% of performance and will produce approximately 4600-4700 points in the GEEKBENCH benchmark multipotok. "It will be not enough", say? But it is 55-60% faster than Snapdragon 625 can give in your Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 or Asus Zenfone 3, and 40% faster than in the Snapdragon 630 limit with the old type of nuclei. RAM, however, "cropped" from 1866 MHz to 1333 MHz, but it does not affect performance as much as noticeable to grieve about this.

40% of the increase in processor performance in comparison with 8x Cortex-A53 at 2.2 GHz

About Adreno 509 Graphic Accelerator Representatives Qualcomm says allegorically - no data on clock frequency or the number of computing blocks. No one would like to make a separate schedule in an economical processor, but admitted that the fast Adreno 512 was artificially slow and worsened (no support for QUAD HD-displays, only Full HD + in elongated and ordinary screens), it would be a marketing failure. Therefore, just nod to Snapdragon 630 and they say that the graphics have become 10% faster.

And this is confused. Because if we are slowed down by 20-25% Adreno 512, then it cannot be only 10% faster than an old, repeatedly modified video scorer from old chips (Snapdragon 625 and others like them). Or Qualcomm squandered the grave of Snapdragon 652, pulled out Adreno 510 from there, and slowed it, or before us the next feat in the acceleration of the long-outdated Adreno 506 (from Snapdragon 625) "I can't". In any case, the graphics in Snapdragon 636 according to modern standards pulls the game "backdrop", without a reserve for a bright future, even for Full HD permission.

What is what?

Surprisingly, how many people still believes that everything specifications The smartphone is fully and fully remains on the conscience of its manufacturer. As if any conditional Xiaomi or Asus can "pour" how many gigahertors, gigabytes and megapixels, and when something starts missing, all popular anger is heading on the manufacturer itself. Of course, it is not. Almost any company today chooses several key components from other manufacturers, connects them, assigns the name and sends to the market. First selected system-on-chip (or just SOC), which includes and cPU, and accelerator graphics, and rAM, and navigation module, and modem. Then it comes to choosing the camera, screen and battery, but here it will already be limited to SOC capabilities. On the one hand, all this looks gloomy: the lack of freedom of choice, similar as water drops tube with identical capabilities and the same prices. But on the other hand, today a full-fledged manufacturer's company can consist of a couple of three people at one table in the modest room of the class B. classroom in other words, never before just start changing the world for the better. Well, at least the world of mobile gadgets.

Of course, in any rule there is an exception. In the world of smartphones is Samsung. The company uses its own processors produced at their own factories, puts its own screens and batteries. But even Samsung can call an exception with a large stretch, because in her smartphones, Sony's production cameras often cost, and in the US, the last generations of Galaxy S and Galaxy Note came to Qualcomm Snapdragon, and not Samsung Exynos.

Qualcomm - Of course, the largest and most notable player in the mobile platform market, but the MediaTek is actively competing with it, which supplies platforms to everyone, as well as Apple, Huawei and Samsung, covering their own needs in the SOC on their own (it looks there and Xiaomi, but so far the company has only one platform in the assortment and the same smartphone at its base). In fact, production occurs at Samsung and TSMC plants, and as nuclei in the absolute majority of cases, the same ARM Cortex protrude. Even processors for iPhone are produced at Samsung and TSMC factories. And all system-on-chips for budget and medium-sized devices have been used by the same nuclei for many years in a row, albeit in different quantities, configurations and with different frequencies. Qualcomm, by the way, was no exception, but this year the situation began to change for the better. Announced Snapdragon 636 is one of the first SOC, who abandoned the ubiquitous Cortex-A53 and translated into more productive Kryo kernels. Well, the platform specifications will now allow us to talk with high accuracy about what smartphones will be in the next year. And now I will explain why.

Snapdragon 636 and the near future inexpensive smartphones

The composition of any modern SOC includes many different components. This is not only CPU and GPU, but also additional computing subsystems, modems and all wireless modules. A Qualcomm even offers a reference chamber with a separate processor for processing a signal from the matrix. But, apparently, the quality of the camera is not satisfied with the default camera, and most prefer the Omnivision or Sony modules. With huge disturbing towards the latter.

Returning to Qualcomm, it is worth clarifying that the company has a clear separation of SOC on the flagship (8xx line), the budget (4xx line) and the average to which the SNAPDRAGON 6xx series refers in general and the freshly impected Snapdragon 636 in particular. Soc Snapdragon 660 and 630 were presented to Soc Snapdragon 660 and 630, the new productivity modification will be located across them. Smartphones using the new generation Snapdragon 6xx, while not so much - this is, for example, ASUS Zenfone. 4, Motorola Moto. X4, OPPO R11 and Xiaomi Mi Note 3. They use Snapdragon 630 and 660. Snapdragon 636 is an absolute novelty, but Qualcomm assures that several contracts have already been signed and the first smartphones on the basis of this platform will appear on the market at the beginning of next year.

As for performance, then there are no data on the results of familiar benchmarks yet, but in Qualcomm, everyone already considered: 636th will be 40% more productive than the 630th, and about 20% slower than the 660th.

In general, I would not say that in the specifications of the new platform there is something really amazing, but one small detail perfectly corresponds to the spirit of the times. The new platform supports displays with a resolution of FHD + (2160 × 1080 points, aspect ratio of 18: 9), and this should push the manufacturers of inexpensive smartphones to be taken main feature The flagships of this year, namely, the curious design. This aspect ratio will allow rational to use the area of \u200b\u200bthe front surface of the smartphone and make the frames are thinner. Well, then it is very logical - the medium-class devices over time will be seized by chips of devices more high-class. And this happens not only in the case of smartphones, but in general with any technique up to yachts and cars. Higher resolution, including in the format of 18: 9, on this moment It can be realized only on more expensive platforms: Snapdragon 660 and 835.

And the last thing that should be borne in mind, speaking of Snapdragon 636 is the support of the quick charging of the new generation, Quick Charge 4, and the built-in Snapdragon X12 modem that supports the data load at the maximum speed of 600 Mbps. This is far from the maximum LTE potential, and yet it is precisely at this moment to go to the story of the speed of speed as the fifth generation networks are deployed.

Switch to 5G and laptops based on Qualcomm Snapdragon

Actual devices based on the top Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 officially support LTE data load at speeds up to 1 Gb / s. But firstly, we are talking About peak, not about medium speed. And secondly, this is possible only if there is support from the operator and the readiness of the relevant infrastructure. Total in the world, 38 operators in 23 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, can boast of this speed. New Zealand, Most countries of Western Europe and Russia. True, we still have it only for MegaFon subscribers in Moscow.

If we talk about peak speed, then at the very beginning of the development of 5G, it will be about 1.5 Gbps, and the average connection rate will be approximately 1 Gbit / s, so the transition process will be fairly smooth. The first users will not feel a radical reducing speed when the smartphone will switch to 4G mode.

Qualcomm rating, monthly volume mobile traffic From 2010 to 2022, it will increase 650 times, and the peak data transfer rate for the same period is 250 times. Most of this traffic is already at a streaming video. For example, in the US, about 35% of mobile traffic falls on Netflix only.

IN mobile networks The nearest future smartphones and tablets will not be the only "data transmitters". As the Internet develops, smart cars and urban infrastructure and the need for bandwidth network. Transport, smart home systems, courier and consumer drones, street lighting systems - all this will certainly be connected to the network. And this fact once again forces us to think about the meaning of the existence of such atavism as a SIM card. The operators would be delighted with the idea of \u200b\u200bequipping each column with a separate card and lifelong binding to their billing system, but everything goes to the fact that physical SIM cards will be replaced by ESIM. However, devices with their support exist now. This, for example, Apple Watch. last generation I. tablets iPad.But operators still slow down progress in this area. However, the main motivators for the speedy spread of ESIM will be miniature devices (such as the same smart hours), in which there will be no place for operator cards.

For the speedy embedding ESIM protrudes and the Qualcomm itself. On the same 4G / 5G Summit in Hong Kong, the company revealed some more details about the coming laptops based on Snapdragon. Talking about this is carried out back since the end of 2016, and the likely date of the release of such devices to the market was originally named December 2017.

Now system requirements Windows satisfies only Snapdragon 835, but by the end of the year Qualcomm will hold another event on which the new generation flagship platform will present. And then we will have more details about how a full-fledged Windows feels on mobile platform, as well as what manufacturers will join this idea. As long as ASUS, Lenovo and Microsoft itself. So, it is expected that all such laptops will connect to 4G networks without a physical SIM card.

Main idea windows transfer The Qualcomm platform is extremely simple - this is the only way to radically extend the time autonomous work. How many traditional laptop in active mode? Well, if hours 8, but in the general case is less. And the laptop on the ARM platform (in this case from Qualcomm) is already able to issue 28-29 hours in the mode of cutting video from NetFlix, and individual models can reach 36 or even 48 hours. This means that next year we can ride short business trips, leaving charger at home. Well, the question of how well Qualcomm laptops will cope with the "heavy" tasks like batch processing of photos and editing video, we will leave open to the announcement of the new flagship platform Snapdragon.

I do not know why, but I do not like to talk about new processors or technologies. When I asked myself a question, why in fact it is, I could not find a response for a long time.

Snapdragon 636 will dominate MediaTek!

So it will be! Recall yourself, for what reason 625 was there a popular processor? First of all - the price. The product from Qualcomm simply ate a competitor in the face of MediaTek. In particular, the smartphones from Xiaomi, which was extremely much as for one manufacturer. The Chinese giant signed an agreement with the Qualcomm to clean the warehouses from this processor.

Everything is natural. The price in the final product is the same as the product from MediaTek. But the speed of work, autonomy and gPS work it is better.

What does Snapdragon 636 offer?

The processor is built on ARM Cortex technology with clusters independently from each other. Each of the clusters so optimizes its work to perform as you can more work as soon as possible. Thanks to them, this processor should be 40% more efficient, from Snapdragona 630. Very large plus in the piggy bank.

GPU Adreno 509 - The newest chip Equipped with strong graphics. 6xx series, in my opinion, is the best on the market. Here is a new generation. The manufacturer promises more efficient rendering of advanced 3D graphics.

Qualcomm Spectra ISP - 14-bit Spectra 160 must provide support for the photo matrix to 24 megapixels and almost zero shutter delay, quick autofocus, smooth zoom and bright black color.

Snapdragon X12 LTE - Snapdragon 636 is a kind of attempt to exceed the threshold from 4G to 5G. However, this is not a pioneer of this decision. Huawei Layouts - Kiriny serve much higher speeds. For accuracy, 636-ka supports speed up to 600 Mbps. Unfortunately, we are not a lot of sense from it. For now...

Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 is that personally it seems to me the most interesting. Phones are becoming faster. However, if it comes to battery ... Well, the technology does not move ... almost. It is still a huge problem in smartphones. These shortcomings fill fast charge! Version 4 works faster than version 3.0 by 20%. This may seem little, in the event of a battery, however, the differences are significant.

636 will go for Redmi Note 5?

Much points to it. The main argument is the fact that this chip supports the screens of the size of FullVision, that is, other formats 18: 9. This is the screen will receive Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. I am surprised only one ... How will they have time? The premiere of new REDMI should take place this year. And when Qulacomm starts the delivery of its processors? In November, the first deliveries will appear, so massively smartphones will appear in the second quarter of 2018. How does Xiaomi decide? Maybe again get on 625-ke?

Xiaomi signed an exclusive contract for the purchase of processors from Qualcomm in huge quantities. The company plans to sell up to 90 million smartphones this year. The situation should be repeated as with the history of Snapdragon 625. Note 5 on the approach, so that all of us hints, which will be the first to receive this processor for Xiaomi with its Xiaomi Redmi Note 5.

What do you think about the Snapdragon 636 processor? I got the impression that Qualcomm takes a little too much to the market of new processors. I am already lost in the 4xx and 6xx series. Only 8xx series is transparent, since only 2 processors come out during the year.