Qualcomm has taken the wraps off of two new processors in their Snapdragon 600 platform, at an event in Singapore today. These are the Snapdragon 630 and the Snapdragon 660. The Snapdragon 630 is the successor to the Snapdragon 626, while the Snapdragon 660 is the successor to the Snapdragon 653. These two processors are pretty similar, but they do still have some key differences, with the Snapdragon 660 being the higher-end model. Both chipsets are using Qualcomm’s Kryo 260 cores, so they are both octa-core chipsets, using the big.LITTLE configuration. While the Snapdragon 660 is using the Adreno 512 GPU, the Snapdragon 630 is sporting the slightly lower-end (but still pretty high-end) Adreno 508 GPU. Both are also built on 14nm, so they aren’t quite as small as the flagship Snapdragon 835 chipset. Included in these new chipsets is also the X12 LTE modem, which can provide up to 600Mbps downlink, of course that is if your network can provide speeds that fast. They also support the Spectra 160 ISP, which is Qualcomm’s image signal processor. This means that you’ll be able to get better image processing with the Snapdragon 630 and 660 chipsets. With the Spectra 160, you’re getting fast and accurate focusing on objects, as well as EIS 3.0. Which is a major upgrade over EIS 2.0. Which Qualcomm is calling “superior video stabilization.”
When it comes to battery life, the Snapdragon 660 is a bit more efficient compared to the Snapdragon 653. Although that is probably to be expected with this being a newer processor, as each one is expected to get a tad bit more efficient, in terms of both speed and power. According to Qualcomm, you should get about 2 more hours of battery life out of the Snapdragon 660 versus the Snapdragon 653. When it comes to phone calls, you’ll get an extra 24 hours, while with 4K video playback, you’ll get another 10 hours. Of course, these numbers are all relative, and highly depend on other factors of the smartphone using the processor, like for instance, the battery capacity. Speaking of which, these processors both support Quick Charge 4.0. Which allows you to charge for just 5 minutes and get 5 hours of usage out of your smartphone. A feature which you can also find on the Snapdragon 835.
Both chipsets are future-proof, at least a bit. They do support Bluetooth 5.0, which currently only the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are using. They both also support USB-C 3.1, which is the spec that most flagships are using currently. The Snapdragon 630 does support up to a QXGA resolution (2048 x 1536), while the Snapdragon 660 supports all the way up to QHD resolution displays. Qualcomm notes that they expect devices with both processors to start hitting the market pretty soon, before Q3 2017.