Isn't technology just fascinating? Don't you remember a few years ago when the first dual-core and quad-core mobile processors were announced, and we all marveled at the progress but wondered why would we ever need this much power in a smartphone? Fast forward a few years and we're already considering octa-core processors as "midrange", like these newly announced Snapdragon chipsets.

First is the Snapdragon 617, coming before the end of 2015 with an X8 LTE modem (Cat 7 for up to 300 Mbps downlink and 100Mpbs uplink) and dual Image Signal Processor (ISP) for cameras up to 21MP. Both features are similar to its Snapdragon 618 and 620 siblings and would allow OEMs faster software compatibility optimization if they've already implemented them.

However, the 617 has the older generation Adreno 405 GPU (the others have the newer 510) and a lesser powerful 1.5 GHz octa-core (ARM Cortex A53) processor.

snapdragon_430_features

Then there's the Snapdragon 430, which will come later in Q2 of 2016. Qualcomm says it'll be "worth the wait" since it will allow many new capabilities in its price range, including 1080p Full HD displays and dual ISPs for cameras up to 21MP.

There's an X6 LTE modem on board with Cat 4 speeds, the new power-efficient Adreno 505 GPU (which supports Open GL ES3.1, OpenCL 2.0, Android Extension Pack), and a 1.2 GHz octa-core (ARM Cortex A53) CPU.

Both processors are part of the range that will support Qualcomm's new Quick Charge 3.0 technology, and include the Hexagon DSP for better and lower power audio.

PRESS RELEASE

Source: Qualcomm [1], [2]