As of March this year, global smartphone manufacturers have announced more than 1,350 Snapdragon 600-powered devices and over 2,300 Snapdragon 400-powered handsets, according to Qualcomm. However, not all of those phones can handle more demanding capabilities such as 4K video capture or dual-camera setups. Qualcomm aims to address those limitations by adding three new mobile platforms to the Snapdragon 600 and 400 tiers.
The semiconductor giant announced the launch of the Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 mobile platforms designed for the mid-range mobile devices. The new mobile platforms are supposed to offer more power, improved performance and battery life, and artificial intelligence capabilities to users of mid-tier devices on a budget.
Not surprisingly, the Snapdragon 632 stole the spotlight with its ability to handle mainstream gaming, 4K video recording, a single 24MP or a dual 13MP camera setup, AI, and fast internet speeds. Qualcomm says it's 40 percent faster than the Snapdragon 626, courtesy of the combined Kryo 250 CPU and Adreno 506 GPU.
On the other hand, the Snapdragon 439 and 429 are claimed to be up to 25 percent faster and more battery-efficient than the Snapdragon 430 and 425. These mobile platforms are also supposed to be capable of handling fast download speeds, uninterrupted video streams, and snappy web browsing, thanks to the X6 LTE modem.
The Snapdragon 439 includes an octa-core CPU, Adreno 505 GPU with up to 20 percent faster graphics rendering, and support for a 21MP single-camera and an 8+8MP dual-camera arrangement with FHD+ display. The Snapdragon 429 boasts an Adreno 504 GPU with up to 50 percent improvement in graphics rendering and support for a 16MP single-camera and an 8+8MP dual-camera setup with HD+ display.
The mobile platforms are all software compatible, Qualcomm says, and devices running the new chips won't be unveiled until the second half of 2018.
