Qualcomm just announced Snapdragon 888, the successor to Snapdragon 865 launch earlier this year in March. Snapdragon 888 boasts several improvements over the predecessor and aims to make your flagship phones much powerful. Snapdragon 888 is the successor, so obviously it is better. But how much better the new Soc is? In this article, I will be putting a detailed comparison of Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 865. So, this article will help you to decide if flagships Snapdragon 888 are worth it or you can still consider phones with Snapdragon 865.
Snapdragon 888 vs Snapdragon 865
Here is the specs comparison of Snapdragon 888 with Snapdragon 865.
| SoC | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 888 |
| CPU | 1x ARM Cortex-X1 @ 2.84 GHz 3x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.42 GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz | 1x Cortex-A77@ 2.84GHz 3x Cortex-A77@ 2.42GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.80GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 650 @ 587 MHz | Adreno 660 @ 700 MHz |
| DSP / NPU | Hexagon 698 15 TOPS AI | Hexagon 780 26 TOPS AI |
| Memory Controller | 4x 16-bit CH @ 2133MHz LPDDR4X / 33.4GB/s 3MB system level cache | 4x 16-bit CH @ 3200MHz LPDDR5 / 51.2GB/s 3MB system level cache |
| ISP/Camera | Dual 14-bit Spectra 480 ISP 1x 200MP or 64MP with ZSL 4K video & 64MP burst capture | Triple 14-bit Spectra 580 ISP 1x 200MP or 84MP with ZSL 4K video & 64MP burst capture |
| Encode/ Decode | 8K30 / 4K120 10-bit H.265 Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG 720p960 infinite recording | 8K30 / 4K120 10-bit H.265 Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG 720p960 infinite recording |
| Integrated Modem | (Paired with external X55 only) (LTE Category 24/22) (5G NR Sub-6 + mmWave) | X60 integrated (LTE Category 24/22) (5G NR Sub-6 + mmWave) |
| Mfc. Process | TSMC 7nm (N7P) | Samsung 5nm (5LPE) |
Snapdragon 865 features four Cortex-A77 performance cores and four Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. This SoC was made using TSMC’s 7-nanometer manufacturing process. On the other hand, Snapdragon 888 comes with one Cortex-X1, three Cortex-A78, and four Cortex-A55 cores. This new SoC is made using Samsung’s 5-nanometer manufacturing process. The smaller manufacturing process means higher power efficiency.
Snapdragon 865 was compatible with both LPDDR4X and LPDDR5 but Snapdragon 888 is compatible only with LPDDR5 RAM. Both the chipsets support up to 16GB RAM but Snapdragon 888 supports 3200MHz LPDDR5 RAM as compared to 2750MHz LPDDR5 RAM in Snapdragon 865. Faster RAM will surely add a positive impact on the performance.
If I talk about graphics performance, Adreno 660 paired with Snapdragon 888 will offer up to a 35% performance boost as compared to Adreno 650 in Snapdragon 865. The new Adreno GPU aims at 144fps gaming and also supports updateable GPU drivers. This will surely boost gaming on mobile phones. Qualcomm also claims this as the “most significant upgrade in Qualcomm Adreno GPU performance.”
Snapdragon 888’s AI Engine can offer 26 Tera operations per second as compared to 15 TOPS in Snapdragon 865.
Snapdragon 888 comes with Hexagon 780 ISP that is almost similar to Hexagon 698 ISP used in Snapdragon 865. The only difference is that Hexagon 780 brings 4K at 120FPS video capture support while Hexagon 698 could only allow 4K at 60FPS.
Snapdragon 888 has an integrated X60 5G modem while Snapdragon 865 used an external X55 modem for 5G support. Snapdragon 888 will be the first chip to support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Currently, there are no Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market but there should be when the devices with Snapdragon 888 comes into the market.
Snapdragon 888 is more power efficient as compared to Snapdragon 865. So, phones powered by the newly announced Snapdragon 888 will offer a better battery backup if packed with the same battery.
Mi 11 will be the first smartphone to come with Snapdragon 888. Realme and Oppo have also confirmed Realme Ace and Find X. Samsung and Asus will also launch smartphones powered by this new flagship Soc. Smartphones powered by Snapdragon 888 should be available starting February next year.
