Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888: Comparing high-end chips of 2021
- in Hardware
When Qualcomm launched Snapdragon 888, we thought it is the successor to Snapdragon 865+ but it was not. Qualcomm has now introduced Snapdragon 870 5G Mobile Platform, a successor to Snapdragon 865 Plus. Some people are also referring to it as Snapdragon 865 Plus Plus because of so many similarities to Snapdragon 865 Plus. In this article, I will compare Snapdragon 870 and Snapdragon 888 to see how Snapdragon 888 is better than Snapdragon 870.
Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888
| Snapdragon 870 | Snapdragon 888 | |
|---|---|---|
| Process | 7nm FinFET | 5nm FinFET |
| CPU | 1x 3.2GHz (Cortex-A77) 3x 2.4GHz (Cortex-A77) 4x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55) | 1x 2.84GHz (Cortex-X1) 3x 2.4GHz (Cortex-A78) 4x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| DSP | Hexagon 698 15 TOPS | Hexagon 780 (fused scalar, tensor, and vector) 26 TOPS |
| Memory | LPDDR5 up to 2750MHz LPDDR4X up to 2133MHz Up to 16GB RAM | LPDDR5 up to 3200MHz Up to 16GB RAM |
| Camera support |
|
|
| Video capture | 8K @ 30fps 4K UHD @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps | 8K @ 30fps 4K UHD @ 120fps 720p @ 960fps |
| Video playback | 8K 4K HDR up to 120fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree | 8K 4K HDR up to 120fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree |
| Charging | Quick Charge 4+ Quick Charge AI | Quick Charge 5 |
| Modem | X55 LTE/5G (external) 7500 Mbps down 3000 Mbps up | X60 LTE/5G (integrated) 7500 Mbps down 3000 Mbps up |
| Other Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n |
Snapdragon 870 us 7nm SoC as compared to Snapdragon 888 that is 5nm Soc. Snapdragon 870 is based on Arm Cortex-A77 big CPU cores while the Snapdragon 888 has Arm Cortex-X1 and A78 clusters. So, Snapdragon 888 is advanced in terms of CPU architecture. Snapdragon 870 is based on Snapdragon 865 Plus. The only difference is in the Prime CPU core that is now clocked at 3.2GHz as compared to 3.1GHz in the 865 Plus.
Also see: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 vs Snapdragon 865
Snapdragon 870 comes with a last-gen Adreno 650 GPU while the Snapdragon 888 has the latest Adreno 660 GPU, So, Snapdragon 888 will offer better graphics performance. Snapdragon 888 will also offer better gaming, AI processing, and imaging technologies became it uses Hexagon 780 DSP, and more powerful Spectra ISP than the older Hexagon 698 DSP, and older image processing blocks found in Snapdragon 870.
Snapdragon 870 retains the external Snapdragon X55 5G modem while the Snapdragon 888 comes with an integrated X60 5G model. Snapdragon 870 also misses out on Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.
Snapdragon 888 is better than Snapdragon 870 but Snapdragon 87o is still a good processor. So you can still buy phones powered by Snapdragon 870 in 2021. Snapdragon 870 will power upper mid-range devices. If you already have a device powered by Snapdragon 865 or Snapdragon 865 Plus, there is no point in getting a device with Snapdragon 870.
Devices powered by Snapdragon 870 are expected to come starting next month.
