Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2, its new mid-range mobile processor.
The new chip is said to deliver “exceptional CPU and GPU performance” that supports “dynamic low-light photography and 4K HDR video, advanced AI experiences, and high-speed 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity.”
Of course, that’s a pretty general statement for any new chip, so let’s get down to the numbers. The Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2’s Qualcomm Kryo processor can reach peak speeds of up to 2.91GHz, delivering a claimed 50 percent increase in processing power over Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 found in the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Lite.
Meanwhile, the Qualcomm Adreno GPU delivers twice the performance of the chip’s predecessor. In terms of graphics tricks, the new chip supports automatic variable-rate shading (VRS), which effectively renders only the foreground elements at full resolution. Volumetric Rendering, meanwhile, will allow developers to render realistic fog and smoke on future mid-range devices.
The chip’s AI performance has also doubled, with performance per watt 40 percent better than its predecessor.
All this, and Qualcomm’s new mid-range champion is 13% more energy efficient.
Today’s smartphone chips are key to the performance of their cameras. In terms of image processing, the 18-bit triple ISP allows for improved low-light performance. With this on board, the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 can capture 30 images and combine the best parts into a single shot. That’s how the magic of night mode works on flagship phones, so it’s nice to see it making its way to more affordable phones.
The new Qualcomm chip also supports photos with a resolution of up to 200 MP, as well as triple-exposure staggered HDR video shooting from two cameras at the same time.
You get the same Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF system as the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, providing download speeds of up to 4.4Gbps.
As for when and where we’ll see the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 in phones, Qualcomm says Redmi and realme are also involved, with the first commercial devices slated to launch later this month.
