Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2, its new mid-range mobile processor.
It’s claimed that the new chip enables “exceptional CPU and GPU performance” that supports “dynamic low-light photography and 4K HDR videography, AI-enhanced experiences and high-speed 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity.”
That’s a pretty generic statement for any new chip, of course, so let’s get down to the numbers. The Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2’s Qualcomm Kryo CPU can hit peak speeds up to 2.91GHz, supplying a claimed 50 percent boost in processing power over the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 found in the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Lite.
The Qualcomm Adreno GPU, meanwhile, provides a 2x boost in performance over the chip’s predecessor. In terms of graphical tricks, the new chip supports Auto Variable Rate Shading (VRS), which efficiently renders only foreground elements at full resolution. Volumetric Rendering, meanwhile, will enable developers to render realistic fog and smoke on future mid-range devices.
The chip’s AI performance has also improved two-fold, and with 40 percent better performance per Watt than its predecessor.
All this, and Qualcomm’s new mid-range champ is 13% more power efficient.
Modern smartphone chips are key elements to the way their cameras perform. On the image processing front, an 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 merge the best parts into one shot. That’s how the Night mode magic is done on flagship phones, so it’s good to see it dripping down to more affordable phones.
Qualcomm’s new chip also supports up to 200MP photos, as well as staggered HDR video capture with triple exposure from two cameras simultaneously.
You get the same Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF System as could be found in the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, enabling download speeds of up to 4.4 Gbps.
As for when and where we’ll be seeing the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2 in phones, Qualcomm claims Redmi and realme are on board, with the first commercial devices set to launch later this month.
