In size, the Snapdragon 888 processor is inferior even to a micro SD memory card. Source: gadgetmatch.com [ad_1]
Buying a new phone is accompanied by a number of difficulties when choosing. One of the questions that needs to be addressed is which processor is best for a smartphone? It is the chipset or the so-called SoC that affects the performance, autonomy and multitasking of the device.
In size, the Snapdragon 888 processor is inferior even to a micro SD memory card. Source: gadgetmatch.comThere are several major processor manufacturers, including Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and Mediatek. It is noteworthy that the Korean manufacturer Samsung equips its flagships with third-party Snapdragon chipsets from Qualcomm, and processors of its own production Exynos. We will now find out how chipsets of different brands and modifications differ from each other.
Number of processor cores
Processor frequency
The process technology or what nanometers affect
Top Smartphone Processor Manufacturers
Top processors 2021–2022
Number of processor cores
The processor for a smartphone is also called a single-chip system. It is an electronic circuit that performs the functions of a whole device and is placed on a common integrated circuit board. The technical parameters of each SoC indicate the number of its cores. Each of them executes a specific command stream. The more cores, the better the chipset copes with multithreading and the more productive it is.
Almost all modern processors for smartphones consist of eight cores. However, not all eight processor cores have equal performance. Companies that produce single-chip systems install several clusters — one, two or three. They are used for different tasks:
- Weak. These include watching videos, surfing the web, and making phone calls.
- Ordinary. Using the camera to take photos or videos.
- Productive. Video processing, games, work with neural networks.
Clustering is required to improve energy efficiency. The higher the frequency of the processor, the faster the battery drains. Accordingly, to solve weak problems, less productive, but more energy-efficient cores are used.
The most common two-cluster systems. One cluster usually contains more productive cores, while the second cluster contains less powerful, but energy efficient ones. This separation allows the smartphone to confidently cope with the tasks and save battery power — depending on the situation, cores from a certain cluster are connected.
Processor frequency
Due to the fact that almost all smartphone processors in 2021 have eight cores, frequency is a key parameter that affects their performance. It determines how many pulses the chipset makes per unit of time during operation. The higher the frequency, the more operations the gadget performs. At the same time, there is a logical pattern — more productive chipsets drain the battery faster.
More energy efficient are smartphones whose processors have cores of different classes. Also, they do not always operate at maximum frequency. It can adapt to current tasks. For example, when surfing the web, the chipset can operate at a frequency of 200–300 MHz, and in games it can increase to 2.5 GHz or more, depending on the power of the SoC.
From the back, the smartphone chipset looks like a processor for a laptop or PC. Source: tadviser.ruFor example, in 2015–2016, Snapdragon 415, Snapdragon 425 and Snapdragon 435 chipsets were used, which were clocked at 1.4 GHz. In 2021–2022, top-end Snapdragon 888+ and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors are installed in the flagships, the operating frequency of which reaches 3 GHz.
The process technology or what nanometers affect
When comparing smartphone processors, you need to take into account not only the frequency and number of cores, but also the manufacturing process by which the chipset is made. It is determined in nanometers, and in the technical characteristics of a single-chip system, this parameter is referred to as “Nm”. The more modern the chipset, the lower the number in front of this marking, that is, a 7 Nm processor is much more efficient than a 14 Nm one.
The numerical value indicates the size of each transistor. The smaller it is, the more they can be placed on the same area, and the higher the overall performance of the smartphone. At the same time, small transistors heat up less and consume battery power more economically under load.
The best processors for smartphones in 2021–2022 were created using a 5–7 Nm process technology, while state employees and mid-range employees have SoCs of 8–12 Nm. It is generally better not to buy devices with chipsets over 15 Nm — from a technical point of view, they are already outdated.
Top Smartphone Processor Manufacturers
If you study the market for mobile devices, it becomes clear that most of them have chipsets from five manufacturers.
Qualcomm
Considered one of the best processors for Android smartphones. The manufacturer keeps in touch with software developers, so the software for mobile gadgets was initially adapted specifically for Snapdragon chipsets from Qualcomm. For example, the flagship Galaxy Z Fold3 from Samsung has a top-end Snapdragon 888, while the Honor 50 Lite has a weak Snapdragon 662.
MediaTek
If Qualcomm is famous for its flagship processors, then Mediatek is known for its budget single-chip systems. In the purchase, they cost about 30% cheaper than Qualcomm chips.
Mediatek is trying to turn the tide with the latest processors. The latest generation of MTK Dimensity 1100 chipsets successfully competes with Qualcomm systems. For this, developers are making efforts to modernize production.
MediaTek processors are marked accordingly on the outer surface. Source: min.newsThe MediaTek Dimensity 1100 is installed in the Xiaomi Poco X3 GT, while the top-end Dimensity 1200 is found in the OnePlus Nord 2 5G and Xiaomi 11T flagships.
Apple
The performance of Apple smartphone processors has always been on top. Every year, the company releases a new generation of chipsets, installing them in its new iPhones and iPads. Apple processors are not found in devices from other brands. With each generation, the manufacturer improves the process technology, reducing nanometers, and also increases the frequency of the cores.
Samsung
The Korean company owns a line of Exynos chipsets, which are slightly inferior to Qualcomm processors in performance and energy efficiency. But the latest models of these chips have a built-in neuroprocessor for processing photos during the shooting process. Thanks to this technology, images from Samsung smartphones in terms of the quality of automatic post-processing often outperform competitors on other processors with similar camera modules.
Let’s take the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as an example. Models on the Exynos processor are supplied to the Russian market, and Snapdragon to the American and Asian markets. The first, when comparing the quality of images, are distinguished by their higher quality.
HiSilicon
These processors belong to Huawei, for whose gadgets they are intended. Also, these chips are installed in Honor devices. HiSilicon processors do not differ in record performance, but are famous for energy efficiency — they consume battery power very economically. For example, the Huawei Nova 8 smartphone has a 3800 mAh battery, which is not much by modern standards. Thanks to the HiSilicon Kirin 820 processor, the battery lasts for two days of using the gadget at medium loads.
Top processors 2021–2022
Finally, consider a small rating of processors for smartphones, which includes not the latest, but the most popular chipsets for devices running Android and iOS.
Bionic
A14 Bionic is not the most powerful chip from Apple. It was released in the fall of 2020, and it was created using a 5 Nm process technology. It has 6 cores and frequency up to 3100 MHz. It has an integrated graphics accelerator Apple GPU with 4 computing units. Installed it in the iPhone 12 and iPad Air 4.
In performance tests, the A15 Bionic outperforms its direct competitor Snapdragon 888 by 3–5%. Source: iphoneislam.comIn 2021, this chip was replaced by the A15 Bionic. It was also created according to the 5 Nm process technology, but the frequency was increased to 3223 MHz. The number of GPU computing units has also been increased — now there are 5 of them. The chipset is found in all versions of the iPhone 13.
snapdragon
In 2020, Qualcomm introduced the flagship Snapdragon 888 chip at 5nm, consisting of 8 cores and clocked at up to 2.84 GHz MHz. It works with the Kryo 680 graphics core, which can handle the most demanding games. In the second quarter of 2021, the processor was overclocked to 2.995 GHz, while the rest of the parameters remained the same.
Later that year, Qualcomm engineers introduced a new line of flagship chipsets — Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The processor was created using a 4 nm process technology and has 8 cores. The maximum frequency is 3 GHz. It works in conjunction with the Adreno 730 graphics accelerator, which is also developed by Qualcomm and is responsible for graphics processing. Especially its performance is important in games. If you need a smartphone with a powerful processor in 2022, you should take a closer look at gadgets with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip on board. Among them are Realme GT 2 Pro, Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro, OnePlus 10 Pro and others.
Exynos
The Exynos 2100 is Samsung’s latest chip to date, built on a 5nm process and consisting of 8 cores with a maximum frequency of 2.9GHz. It works with the Arm Mali-G78 graphics core and is installed in such smartphones from the Korean manufacturer as Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra. In terms of efficiency in demanding games, this chip is 10% inferior to its competitor Snapdragon 888 with identical graphics settings. This will result in a small FPS drop, but given the large headroom of the chipset, it will be almost unnoticeable.
The advantage of the Exynos 2100 is the availability of additional cores for photo processing and positioning the smartphone in space. Automatic post-processing allows AI to improve the quality of the images it creates, while better positioning allows for more accurate and faster navigation.
Kirin
The Kirin 9000 does not lag behind the flagship Snapdragon 888 in performance, but needs more powerful cooling under load. In everyday use, it deserves the title of one of the most energy efficient chips. Operates at frequencies up to 3.13 GHz and is based on a 5 Nm process technology. The chipset is installed in smartphones Huawei Mate 40 and Huawei 50.
dimension
MTK releases the flagship Dimensity 1100 chipsets, which are almost on par with Snapdragon and Exynos competitors. This is also an 8‑core processor with a frequency of up to 2.6 GHz. Created on the 6 Nm process technology, but in terms of optimization it surpasses HiSilicon chips developed using the same technology. It’s all about a better combination of performance and energy efficiency.
A device with Dimensity 1100 is suitable for mobile gamers who do not want to spend a lot on a smartphone with a Snapdragon processor. The processor is installed in Vivo S10 and S12, Xiaomi Poco X3 GT and Realme Q3 Pro.
[ad_2]