Qualcomm may have stumbled with its Snapdragon 810 SoC but its successor doesn't appear destined to suffer a similar fate. The chipmaker on Wednesday shared details regarding its upcoming Snapdragon 820 SoC which features new versions of its graphics processing unit (GPU) and image signal processing (ISP) unit.
To say it sounds promising would certainly be an understatement.
The Adreno 5xx GPU is said to offer up to 40 percent faster performance while consuming 40 percent less power compared to the Adreno 430. It'll also support 4K video at up to 60 frames per second over HDMI 2.0 for streaming to UHD televisions and displays, Qualcomm said.
The Spectra ISP, meanwhile, can support up to three cameras simultaneously and is designed to provide best-in-class image quality. Specifically, it'll allow for images with more natural skin tones and a wider range of colors at up to 25-megapixels at 30 frames per second with zero shutter lag.
In addition to improved graphics performance and better battery life when playing traditional games, the next-gen Snapdragon SoC will focus on computational photography, computer vision, virtual reality and photo-realistic graphics on mobile devices, said Tim Leland, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies.
Specifically, Qualcomm promises its solution will deliver DSLR-quality results and while I'm not disputing those claims, I certainly look forward to putting them to the test.
The Snapdragon 820 with Adreno 530 graphics and Spectra ISP is expected to arrive in devices by the first half of next year. No word yet on which companies are currently sampling the chip or which devices it'll initially power.