Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 unveiled: the first 4nm chip in the series supports faster RAM and storage
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 (SM4450), a sequel to the 4 Gen 1 from September of last year. Thanks to the Snapdragon X61 modem, this is the first chip in the series to support the improved 3GPP Release 16 version of 5G. This is also the first 4nm chip in the Snapdragon 4-series.
Qualcomm doesn’t name the foundry, but the newer node should promises improved overall efficiency. For reference, the Gen 1 chip is fabbed at 6nm (TSMC), the 480 is 8nm (Samsung).
The new CPU has two performance cores (clocked at 2.2GHz) and 6 efficiency cores (2.0GHz). This results in a 10% performance boost compared to the SD 4 Gen 1. There are no details for the Adreno GPU, the display support is the same – up to FHD+ at 120fps.
More importantly, the new chip use faster RAM, LPDDR5x (up to 3,200MHz). Faster storage is an option too, makers can equip phones with UFS 3.1 (2-lane). Check the table below for more details.
| Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 | |
| Process | 6nm (TSMC) | 4nm (?) |
| CPU | 2x 2.0GHz + 6x 1.8GHz | 2x 2.2GHz + 6x 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | ? |
| RAM | LPDDR4x 2,133MHz | LPDDR5x 3,200MHz |
| Storage | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 (2-lane) |
| Display | Up to FHD+ @ 120fps | Up to FHD+ @ 120fps |
| ISP | Triple | Dual (12-bit) |
| Camera | up to 108MP | up to 108MP, up to 32MP Zero Shutter Lag |
| Video | up to 1080p @ 60fps | up to 1080p @ 60fps, EIS |
| Modem | X51 (2.5Gpbs down, 800Mbps up) | X61 (Rel. 16, 2.5Gpbs down, 900Mbps up)) |
| Local | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX) | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 (aptX) |
| USB | 3.2 Gen 1 | 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Charging | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 4+ |
The camera hardware drops down to a dual-ISP but has a new skill called Multi-Camera Temporal Filtering (MCTF for short), which provides better noise reduction for videos. Video capture is still limited to 1080p @ 60fps (and 720p @ 120fps for slow motion), but now Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) is supported. The chip can handle cameras up to 108MP or up to 32MP resolution for Zero Shutter Lag (or 16+16MP for dual cameras). Autofocus should be faster too.
Like its predecessor, the Gen 2 chip comes with Quick Charge 4+ and, according to Qualcomm, it fill a battery to 50% in 15 minutes, though without further specifics. The USB-C connectivity is rated at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds (i.e. up to 5Gbps).
3GPP Release 16 brings power-saving features, improves coverage and makes cell-based location more accurate. The X61 modem can do 4x4 MIMO (up too 100MHz bandwidth) and can deliver speeds up to 2.5Gbps down and 900Mbps up.
Unfortunately, local connectivity did not get an upgrade – the chip only supports Wi-Fi 5 (ac) at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, plus Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX for audio.
The first smartphones with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 are coming in the second half of this year (we’re almost there), the first ones to reach the market will be from (Xiaomi) Redmi and vivo.
