Qualcomm has unveiled its newest mid-range System-on-Chip (SoC), the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, marking a significant upgrade over its predecessors. This new chipset represents a departure from previous designs, built on TSMC’s advanced 4nm process node—a first for the 6-series.
A standout feature of the Gen 4 is its adoption of ARMv9-based CPU cores, replacing the ARMv8 architecture used in earlier generations. It features a Cortex-A720 (2.3GHz) as the prime core, three additional A720 (2.2GHz) as performance cores, and four Cortex-A520 (1.8GHz) as efficiency cores.
Qualcomm claims an 11% improvement in single-threaded CPU performance (measured in Geekbench 5.2), while the new Adreno GPU delivers a more substantial 29% performance boost, though specific GPU details remain undisclosed. Additionally, the chipset is 12% more power-efficient than its predecessor.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 introduces INT4 support, enabling optimised AI models with larger parameters to run efficiently within limited RAM.
Qualcomm is developing AI applications like text summarisation, though it hasn’t specified the minimum memory requirements for running large language models (LLMs) on-device.
Memory and storage options include support for up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM (3,200MHz) or LPDDR4X (2,133MHz) for cost-effective designs, alongside UFS 3.1 storage. Wired connectivity features USB-C 3.1, capable of driving external displays at up to 4K @ 60Hz with 10-bit color and HDR10+ support. The chipset can also power device displays at up to 1080p+ resolution and 144Hz refresh rates.
For gaming, the Adreno GPU incorporates Snapdragon Game Super Resolution (enabling upscaling to 4K) and the Adreno Frame Motion Engine (which doubles frame rates while maintaining low power consumption).
On the camera front, the chipset boasts triple 12-bit ISPs, supporting sensors up to 200MP and 4K HDR video recording at 30fps. It also supports HDR10 and HLG video formats, 10-bit HEIF for photos, and hardware-accelerated H.265 and VP9 playback (though AV1 is not supported).
Connectivity remains robust, with a 5G modem supporting sub-6GHz (4×4 MIMO) and mmWave (2×2 MIMO) for downlink speeds up to 2.9Gbps. Wi-Fi 6E (including the 6GHz band) and Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Adaptive are also included, alongside a GPS receiver with triple-frequency positioning (L1/L5/L2).
Qualcomm has announced that Realme, Oppo, and Honor will be among the first smartphone manufacturers to release devices powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, with launches expected “in the coming months.”