Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 678 brings minor upgrades over the 675

Earlier this month, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 888 chipset which will power the Android flagships in 2021. And now, the company has announced another smartphone processor. The new Snapdragon 678 is the latest mid-range chipset from Qualcomm.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC Overview

Architecture

Snapdragon 678 SoC is the successor to the Snapdragon 675 which was launched back in 2018. However, it’s more of a refresh than a successor. For starters, both the chipset are based on the 11nm process technology. They also feature the same Kyro 460 CPU architecture but the one on the SD 678 is clocked higher at 2.2GHz. That is 200MHz faster than that on the Snapdragon 675. Similarly, Qualcomm is promising a performance increase in the GPU as well. However, it didn’t mention how it was achieved since both the SoC have Adreno 612 GPU.

ISP

Other than the higher clock speed, there is hardly anything that distinguishes the SD 678 from its predecessor. It features the same Spectra 205L ISP that supports a single-camera setup of up to 48MP. The inclusion of Qualcomm 3rd gen AI engine allows Bokeh effect, Low-light capture, and laser autofocus. One can also record 4K videos and slow-mo videos.

Connectivity

Here, the 678 comes with a Snapdragon X12 LTE Modem which is a 4G modem. Theoretically, it can attain download and upload speed up to 600Mbps and 150Mbps, respectively. It also supports aggregation and Licensed Assisted Access.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 Specifications: 

• Process: 11nm
• Core Architecture: Octa-core Kryo 460 CPU (up to 2.2GHz)
• GPU: Adreno 612
• Memory Support: 2 x 16-bit LPDDR4/4x (up to 8GB)
• ISP: Spectra 250L
• Modem: Snapdragon X12 LTE
• Display Support: FHD+, 90Hz
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1

Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC Availability

We could see some lower midrange smartphones make use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC in 2021. However, Qualcomm has not announced if any smartphone brand is working on it. Given the recent trend of 5G, we expect smartphone manufacturers to incline more towards the Snapdragon 690.

• In the meanwhile, watch our review of Asus ZenBook 14 UM425.