Qualcomm is today announcing more details about its forthcoming Snapdragon 835 mobile processor, which is expected to be in devices launching in the first half of this year. The Snapdragon 835 is the successor to 2016’s Snapdragon 820 flagship and features improved performance, more efficient components, and new capabilities for virtual reality and taking photos. Qualcomm says the new processor consumes 25 percent less power than last year’s chip, which leads to a claimed 2.5 more hours of run time on an average day of usage.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 specifications
- Kryo 280 CPU with four performance cores running at up to 2.45 GHz and four efficiency cores running up to 1.9GHz
- Snapdragon X16 LTE modem with support for Category 16 LTE and Category 13 LTE upload speeds
- 2×2 11ac MU-MIMO
- 802.11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 5
- Adreno 540 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan, and DX12
- Hexagon 682 DSP with HVX
- Qualcomm All-Ways Aware™ technology with support for the Google Awareness API
- dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz
- Qualcomm Location with support for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS systems
- up to 32 MP single and 16 MP dual-camera with Qualcomm Spectra 180 ISP, 2x ISP, 14-bit, hybrid autofocus (laser/contrast/structured light/dual-phase detection AF), Qualcomm® Clear Sight™, optical zoom, hardware accelerated face detection and HDR video recording
- 4K Ultra HD video capture @ 30 fps, up to 4K Ultra HD video playback @ 60 fps, support for H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC)
- Ultra HD Premium™ ready, 4K @60fps, wide color gamut support, 10-bit color depth
- Quick Charge 4
- Qualcomm Aqstic™ WCD9341 audio codec with support for audiophile grade DAC with 32-bit/384kHz
- 10nm FinFET technology
As previously announced, the Snapdragon 835 also comes with the latest version of the company’s fast charging technology, dubbed Quick Charge 4.0. The new version is fully compatible with USB Type-C industry standards, can charge 20 percent faster than Quick Charge 3.0, and comes with new protections against overcharging. Qualcomm says Quick Charge 4.0 can provide “5 hours of use from just 5 minutes of charging.”
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 on the left, Snapdragon 835 on the right
Qualcomm
Qualcomm says the 835 has a 50 percent power reduction compared to the Snapdragon 801, 2014’s flagship processor. It is based on 10nm fabrication technology — a first for the Snapdragon line — which is smaller and allows for thinner phones with larger batteries compared to earlier processors.
In addition to improved power management, the Snapdragon 835 expands upon the 820’s virtual and augmented reality capabilities, with faster 3D graphics rendering and 60 times more colors. It also has improved sound processing to produce “true to life sound” in virtual environments. Qualcomm says that in addition to smartphones that support VR, the Snapdragon 835 will find its way into dedicated virtual reality headsets, as well.