Snapdragon 820 Launched

[jos]

Qualcomm has officially launched its Snapdragon 820 processor, the chip which is set to power some of the biggest smartphones of 2016.It's been teasing various details about the 820 over the last few months, but now all has been uncovered during a launch event in New York.You can expect increased battery life, faster downloads and better performance from smartphones running the Snapdragon 820

 

As one of the most cutting-edge mobile processors ever created, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 processor with X12 LTE supports the ultimate in connectivity, graphics, photography, power and battery efficiency. See firsthand how we’ve designed the 820 from the ground up to be unlike anything else.

X12 LTE offers 3x faster peak upload speeds and 33% faster peak download speeds compared to those of X10 LTE. The new Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU has 2x performance and efficiency when compared to the CPU of Snapdragon 810. The new Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 680 DSP also brings significant improvement to performance and battery life.The Qualcomm® Adreno™ 530 GPU offers 40% improvement to graphics performance, compute capabilities, and power usage when compared to Adreno 430. 14-bit Qualcomm® Spectra™ camera Image Signal Processor (ISP) supports the capture of up to 28 megapixels. Supporting LTE Category 12 download speeds of up to 600 Mbps, and LTE Category 13 uplink speeds of up to 150 Mbps, the Snapdragon 820 processor with X12 LTE supports 33% faster peak download speeds, and triple the peak upload speeds of Snapdragon 810 processor with X10 LTE. The Snapdragon 820 processor fundamentally changes the way Wi-Fi works with your phone by supporting both 802.11ad and 802.11ac 2x2 MU-MIMO — which allows Wi-Fi to be up to 2x or 3x faster than 802.11ac without MU-MIMO. As the first commercial processor to utilize LTE-U, Snapdragon 820 can access LTE connections in both licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum — boosting your connection speeds and mobile broadband access in normally congested areas. Significant improvement to the Hexagon 680 DSP enables the CPU to offload more tasks for fast processor using less power. The Hexagon 680 DSP also allows for “always-on” low power-sensors and ultra-low power advanced imaging. With Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0, users can spend less time charging and more time doing. As our fastest and most efficient charging technology yet, Quick Charge 3.0 is 4x faster than conventional charging and 38% more efficient than Quick Charge 2.0. As our first custom-designed 64-bit quad-core CPU, the Kyro CPU uses Qualcomm® Symphony System Manager as an intelligent resource management tool for Snapdragon that extends control of task scheduling and power management across the entire processor. The next-generation of visual processing technologies is finally here, thanks to the power of the new Adreno 530 GPU. As our highest performance GPU yet, the Adreno 530 in the Snapdragon 820 processor is designed to create photorealistic computer generated graphics, while delivering up to 40% improvement to graphics performance and compute capabilities when compared to the Adreno 430. The Snapdragon 820 harnesses the newest innovations in mobile photography to redefine today’s camera capabilities. Supported by the latest 14-bit image sensors, hybrid autofocus and multi-sensor fusion algorithms, the Spectra camera ISP captures a wider range of colors and supports computational photography. Plus, the Snapdragon 820 also has Hexagon 680 with HVX (Hexagon Vector eXtensions), which supports advanced imaging and computer vision.

 

CPU

Up to 2.2 GHz quad-core (Quad-core custom 64-bit Qualcomm® Kryo™)

GPU

Qualcomm® Adreno™ 530 GPU

Up to OpenGL ES 3.1+

DSP

Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 680 DSP

Camera

Up to 28 MP

Qualcomm® Spectra™ Image Sensor Processor (14-bit dual-ISP)

Video

Up to 4K Ultra HD capture and playback

H.264 (AVC)

H.265 (HEVC)

Display

4K Ultra HD on-device

4K Ultra HD output

1080p and 4K external display support

Charging

Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0

LTE Connectivity

Snapdragon X12 LTE with Global Mode

LTE Cat 12/13 (up to 600 Mbps DL 150 Mbps UL)

Up to 600 Mbps, 256-QAM DL

Up to 150 Mbps UL, 64-QAM UL

Carrier Aggregation

3x20MHz DL, 2X20MHz UL

Global Mode

• LTE FDD and TDD
• WCDMA (DB-DC-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA)
• TD-SCDMA
• EV-DO and CDMA 1x
• GSM/EDGE

Additional features include:

• LTE/Wi-FI link aggregation
• LTE-U
• LTE Broadcast
• LTE Dual SIM, Dual Active (DSDA)
• HD Voice over 3G and VoLTE
• Wi-Fi calling with LTE call continuity

Wi-Fi

Qualcomm® VIVE™ 802.11ac

2x2 MU-MIMO

Tri-band Wi-Fi

RF

Qualcomm® RF360™ front end solution

Location

Qualcomm® IZat™ Gen8C

Security

Qualcomm® Haven™ Security Suite:

• Qualcomm® SecureMSM™ hardware and software
• Snapdragon StudioAccess™ Content Protection
• Qualcomm® SafeSwitch™ theft prevention solution
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon Sense™ ID 3D fingerprint technology
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Smart Protect

Storage

UFS 2.0

eMMC 5.1

SD 3.0 (UHS-I)

Memory

LPDDR4 1866MHz dual-channel

Process Technology

14 nm

USB

USB 3.0/2.0

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.1

NFC

Supported

Part Number

8996

 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 beats the thermal requirements of device makers.

 

 

According to Qualcomm..

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Ahead-of-tomorrows-Snapdragon-820-unveiling-Qualcomm-says-overheating-will-not-be-an-issue_id75606
 

The Kyro cores are 64-bit capable and they are supposed to be very fast and efficient. The SoC will also include an Adreno 530 latest generation GPU with Qualcomm Spectra camera ISP.

The Hexagon 680 DSP was introduced as well as the Snapdragon Smart protect. Four Kyro processors should be enough for everyone and the X12 Cat 12 LTE modem with speeds up to 600 Mbps and up to 150 Mbps uplink with support for LTE Unlicensed. The 802.11ad WiFi as well as the 802.11ac MU-MIMO are a part of the Snapdragon 820 network part

 

Source:http://www.fudzilla.com/news/processors/39214-qualcomm-s-snapdragon-820-has-60-design-wins

 

Over 60 devices being built with Snapdragon 820 and had one more than 60 design awards..

Source: https://twitter.com/timamcdonough

Extra information:

graphics performance of the Adreno 530 GPU in the Snapdragon 820 is "40% increase". This is the average advantage gained over the Adreno 430 GPU in the Snapdragon 810, when looking at averages of top graphics benchmarks. At the same time this 40% boost in performance comes with a sweet 40% drop in power usage thanks to new power gating that allows the GPU to go faster to idle modes and save energy. In terms of APIs, the Adreno 530 will support OpenGL ES 3.1 and the Android Extension Pack. On some platforms, support for the newer OpenGL ES 3.2 and Renderscript for GPGPU processing advantages. the new chip will be able to output to 4K monitors with a 60 frames per second speeds (via HDMI 2.0 support and a wire), and it will also be able to wirelessly stream 4K at 30fps.The new Spectra ISP coming with the Snapdragon 820 allows for better image quality. The ISP can now handle multi-camera setups with up to three sensors working simultaneously, and the maximum supported resolution is 25 megapixels with video recorded at 30fps at max resolution. The more detail-oriented photography enthusiasts should be happy to see enhanced de-mosaicing on the Spectra ISP, as well as improved hybrid auto-focus framework, more natural skin tones, and more

 

.

https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2015/08/12/qualcomm-introduces-next-generation-gpu-architecture-and-image-signal

 

As the premier modem within the Snapdragon family, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X12 LTE Modem is a great fit for those who depend on today’s fastest connections. By supporting several next-generation features such as LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation, LTE in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U), and LTE + Wi-Fi Link Aggregation, the Snapdragon X12 LTE Modem represents the ultimate in LTE connectivity.

The Snapdragon X12 LTE modem cranks peak download speeds up to 600 Mbps and peak upload speeds up to 150 Mbps, thanks to support for LTE Advanced carrier aggregation (3x in the downlink, and 2x in the uplink) and higher order modulation (up to 256-QAM in the downlink, and 64-QAM in the uplink). It even supports downloading data on 4 antennas simultaneously with support for 4x4 MIMO. That means lightning fast connections, quicker network response times, and richer app content.

With the help of LTE-U small cells, the Snapdragon X12 LTE Modem can access LTE connections in both licensed spectrum and unlicensed spectrum — boosting your connection speeds in normally congested areas.

The Snapdragon X12 LTE Modem can automatically switch between LTE and Wi-Fi, picking the link that has the strongest signal quality and highest end-to-end speeds. That means better voice and video calls. Plus, if your operator supports the feature, the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem can even bond your LTE and Wi-Fi links together to boost download speeds with LTE + Wi-Fi Link Aggregation (LWA).

 

Source: https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/modems/x12
According to qualcomm snapdragon is suited for VR

 

When a display is only a centimeter or two in front of your face, the pixels on the screen become very apparent; that’s known as the “screen-door effect.” If you ever needed the mobile 4K Ultra HD resolution made possible by the Snapdragon 820, VR is the reason. But it’s not only about the number of pixels—it’s also about the quality of those pixels, and that’s where the Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU steps in. This new architecture delivers up to 40% faster performance than the previous generation, giving you high frame rates and smooth experiences.With some VR cases, it’s also about what the device sees as well. For a VR experience that simulates walking across a tightrope to be truly immersive, you must have the ability to look down at your feet, for example. The Qualcomm Snapdragon Spectra ISP supports the speed and performance necessary for computer vision experiences.

 

 

360 degree audio experience is the magic of spatial audio running on Snapdragon 820. The sensor processing used on the Qualcomm Hexagon 680 DSP with Hexagon Vector Extensions (HVX) and the visual rendering of the Adreno 530 GPU must work in concert, nearly instantaneously, so you genuinely feel as though you are looking around within a 3D world. You can watch a case of just how much lag could ruin a VR experience.

 

 

Source: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/snapdragon/2015/11/09/snapdragon-820-sneak-peek-virtual-reality-experiences

[Sauron]

->faster downloads

 

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? also, none of this matters if it overheats like the 810

[Leonard]

but does it over heat then thermal throttle......

[79wjd]

->faster downloads

 

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? also, none of this matters if it overheats like the 810

didnt they (mostly) fix that with v2?

[Derpologist]

I'm excited. I hope qualcomm deals with the heat issues in previous chips. My LG G4 (with an 808) has really good performance but heats up considerably (I rarely play games). Hopefully these things will be fixed

[Sauron]

didnt they (mostly) fix that with v2?

 

Not sure. Still, overheating is a big issue and it's hard to resolve while still adding on more power.

[Derpologist]

Side note, was there ever a snapdragon 420?

 

 

Nobody answer this please. I'm not a drug endorser 

[Sauron]

I'm excited. I hope qualcomm deals with the heat issues in previous chips. My LG G4 (with an 808) has really good performance but heats up considerably (I rarely play games). Hopefully these things will be fixed

 

at least the 808 doesn't throttle

[jos]

but does it over heat then thermal throttle......

The company say it is cool and cooler than any competition

[Derpologist]

Not sure. Still, overheating is a big issue and it's hard to resolve while still adding on more power.

Agreed. Eventually they're gonna have to do one of two things. 

1. Bring the performance to the perfect level where it will never need to be increased, because eventually it will reach a point where it is more than good enough. 

2. Put goddamn heatpipes in a phone: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2896672/fujitsus-thin-heat-pipe-could-let-smartphone-chips-run-cooler.html

[Derpologist]

at least the 808 doesn't throttle

Well if it's under 10% battery, I can't even use it...takes about a minute to actually register that I typed the password in

[Derpologist]

Amazing specs, I bet it'll be so freaking fast! Oh wait... it's gonna run Android so you'll still get lag opening the app drawer even though you have an octa-core with 4GB RAM.

Haters gonna hate

Never happened to me unless I underclock the cpu with battery saver mode....

[Guest]

->faster downloads

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? 

The Snapdragon 820 is the only CPU that it can be paired with I believe, and considering the new technology they put in the modem I think its a decent upgrade.

Source for modem itself: https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/modems/x12

[Bouzoo]

The company say it is cool and cooler than any competition

Of course they are gonna say that. They said 810 doesn't throttle.

[Derpologist]

What phone do you have? My Xperia Z3 was terrible..both on stock rom and CM12, it broke at one point so I got a replacement and it was just as bad.

I have an LG G4. I use it just as factory because I honestly havent seen the need/gotten around to installing a custom launcher, etc. It heats up quite a bit occasionally, but other than that, the performance is excellent

[DildorTheDecent]

Nice. Back to proper quad cores. I thought the whole 'octo' core thing was silly. 

[raphidy]

->faster downloads

 

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? also, none of this matters if it overheats like the 810

It's not a cpu, it's a SOC.

[Sauron]

It's not a cpu, it's a SOC.

 

fair enough - although I still wonder how it could possibly do more than the other modems that can reach peak 4g speed

[Daegun]

Agreed. Eventually they're gonna have to do one of two things. 

1. Bring the performance to the perfect level where it will never need to be increased, because eventually it will reach a point where it is more than good enough. 

2. Put goddamn heatpipes in a phone: http://www.pcworld.com/article

/2896672/fujitsus-thin-heat-pipe-could-let-smartphone-chips-run-cooler.html

Too late, Sony already did it for the Z5 series

Only way they could keep the 810 from overheating and throttling.

[dizmo]

Pretty excited about this, should bring Qualcomm back into the game. The custom cores are what makes their chips great. I'm really interested to see how this performs against the Kirin 950 and whatever Samsung has been cooking up, and how much the DSP really does.

Now we just need someone to step it up in the display game and battery life will really take off...

 

 

->faster downloads

 

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? also, none of this matters if it overheats like the 810

The modem is on the SoC, so quite a bit

Probably referring to something like Samsung has, where they use mobile and wifi data combined to download files. Always seemed a bit daft to me.

didnt they (mostly) fix that with v2?

I believe v2 was simply a firmware fix that throttled the SoC wasn't it?

 

I'm excited. I hope qualcomm deals with the heat issues in previous chips. My LG G4 (with an 808) has really good performance but heats up considerably (I rarely play games). Hopefully these things will be fixed

Haha, that's not a Snapdragon problem, that's an LG problem. Every LG phone I've ever owned has had issues with overheating, right down to the SD600.

[ThreePinkApples]

2. Put goddamn heatpipes in a phone: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2896672/fujitsus-thin-heat-pipe-could-let-smartphone-chips-run-cooler.html

Well, Sony did that on the Z5

[79wjd]

@dizmo

maybe? i didnt pay much attention to it.

[marldorthegreat]

->faster downloads

 

what does that have to do with the phone's cpu? also, none of this matters if it overheats like the 810

Dedicated core to creat the illusion of speed. Or just a better on board internet thingy. (Too tired to use letter combination things) *

 

EDIT: Words*

[captain cactus]

Now get me actual benchmarks.

[KemoKa]

Love the faster downloads. That's out of Apple's book right there with their boast of "Faster Wifi"...

 

But it has nothing to do with the CPU.