Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 860, A Souped-Up Snapdragon 855 - Android

Qualcomm has announced yet another premium smartphone SoC in the Snapdragon 800 series. The new Snapdragon 860 is an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 855 from 2019, or should we say a revision of the Snapdragon 855+ with some newer features. The chipset is based on the same 7nm TSMC node as the Snapdragon 855/855+ [...]

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The post Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 860, A Souped-Up Snapdragon 855 appeared first on Android Headlines.

Qualcomm has announced yet another premium smartphone SoC in the Snapdragon 800 series. The new Snapdragon 860 is an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 855 from 2019, or should we say a revision of the Snapdragon 855+ with some newer features.

The chipset is based on the same 7nm TSMC node as the Snapdragon 855/855+ and also still uses Qualcomm's Kryo 485 CPU cores. The octa-core CPU has its prime core clocked at 2.96GHz, up from the 2.84GHz in the Snapdragon 855 but the same as that of the Snapdragon 855+.

The Snapdragon 860, however, supports up to 16GB of RAM. According to an XDA Developers report, the chipset also offers support for several new camera features such as "ultra-wide lens night mode, selfie night mode, and dual video". All in all, it's a minor upgrade from the Snapdragon 855 with most of the specs remaining consistent.

Much like the Snapdragon 855/855+, the Snapdragon 860 also lacks an integrated 5G modem. However, the chipset can be paired with a Snapdragon X50 Modem-RF System to enable both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G connectivity.

The new Snapdragon 860 is a repurposed Snapdragon 855

Qualcomm usually launched only one flagship SoC in the Snapdragon 800 series in a year, with an upgraded version coming towards the second part of the year. However, the company has made some major changes to this strategy this year.

The semiconductor giant has already launched the Snapdragon 888 flagship for 2021. But since then it has also launched two more SoCs in the Snapdragon 800 series. The Snapdragon 870 5G came in January as an overclocked version of last year's Snapdragon 865. Now, we have a repurposed Snapdragon 855 of 2019 coming out as the Snapdragon 860. There are also reports that Qualcomm is developing a 4G version of the Snapdragon 888.

The Snapdragon 860 sits below the Snapdragon 888 and the Snapdragon 870 in the performance and cost tier. The chipset is targeted at premium mid-range devices. Using older flagship processors in current midrange devices does allow manufacturers to offer superior performance at lower prices. LG last year launched the Velvet smartphone with the Snapdragon 845 from 2018.

By re-introducing its older flagship SoCs with some newer features, Qualcomm is making them more appealing to potential customers. The Snapdragon 860-powered phones would definitely perform better than devices running on current mid-range processors.

The Snapdragon 860 is making its debut inside the POCO X3 Pro mid-ranger, which was announced on Monday. The phone costs €249 (~$296) with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage and €299 (~$356) with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Expect more phones in the sub-$500 price segment to equip the new Snapdragon processor in the coming months.

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