Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 - Return of the SoC king
With its new Snapdragon 820 SoC making its way into just about every flagship device to be launched in the first half of 2016, Qualcomm is on track to leave behind all the unhappy memories of 2015. Here's what you need to know about Qualcomm's latest super chip.
Note: This article was first published on 20th March 2016.
Qualcomm is back in the game
Qualcomm was co-sponsor of Xiaomi's Mi 5 launch. Not a bad way to get your brand name out there at all.
If you’ve been following the latest news out of MWC 2016, you’ll notice that many of the shiny, new smartphones boast the same chip, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. But given that Qualcomm has generally been the chipmaker of choice for many manufacturers of Android phones, that in itself isn’t news. Instead, what is far more interesting is what the Snapdragon 820 signifies for Qualcomm as a company.
Which phones feature the Snapdragon 820? Well, we can count among the early adopters the LG G5, Xiaomi Mi 5, and even the US version of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, all of them flagships of their respective brands. There’s also no forgetting the Sony Xperia X Performance and HP Elite X3.
That represents quite a sweep of the major smartphone launches at MWC 2016. And after a lackluster showing with its previous flagship, the Snapdragon 810, that saw it grapple with overheating and thermal throttling issues and led to the loss of a key customer in Samsung, Qualcomm really needs the Snapdragon 820 to be a success.
Fortunately, it’s already looking like it will be. Right from the outset, it’s clear that the Snapdragon 820 is so much more than just a speedier and cooler 810. Since it was first outed at MWC last year, we’ve heard news about its vastly improved capabilities. For instance, its Zeroth platform could add the ability for on-device cognitive computing technology to combat malware more effectively and in real-time. Its new X12 modem also promised faster and more reliable LTE speeds than ever before.
Then there’s the fact that the various smartphone brands were practically shouting about the fact that their phones would have the Snapdragon 820. LG brought out Steve Mollenkopf, Qualcomm’s CEO, to talk about what the chip brings to the table during its presentation for the G5. Xiaomi also cheekily set its press registration to begin at 8.20am, an unmistakable nod to the new SoC. Global vice president Hugo Barra even invited Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon on stage to celebrate the successful tie-up between the two companies.
Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf speaking at LG's G5 launch.
This is shaping up to be the chip that returns Qualcomm to competitiveness in the upper echelons of the SoC space. More importantly, it advances Qualcomm’s heterogeneous computing goal, which envisions the ability to combine different functional cores of an SoC, for instance the CPU, GPU and digital signal processor (DSP) cores, to attain new performance levels. Compared to more common implementations that use the same core for different tasks, heterogeneous computing can also bring about significant power savings, and consequently pass on battery savings to the end user.
Meet Kryo: Qualcomm’s first custom-designed 64-bit CPU
Kryo is manufactured on Samsung's second-generation 14nm FinFET process. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
For all intents and purposes, the Snapdragon 810 was something of a stopgap solution. Qualcomm didn’t have a custom-designed core of its own at the time, and after being taken by surprise by Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5s, Qualcomm opted to go with ARM’s stock Cortex-A53 and A57 cores for the 810. The 810 had its roots in less-than optimum conditions, and the result was an SoC that was plagued with problems before it was even released and never really lived up to its potential.
Enter Kryo, Qualcomm’s first custom-designed 64-bit CPU core. Now, Qualcomm has been able to engineer cores designed expressly to work with the other elements of the SoC as part of a comprehensive heterogeneous computing architecture, which means better performance with fewer compromises. Coming from the ARM cores on the Snapdragon 810, Qualcomm has moved from TSMC’s 20nm HKMG planar process to Samsung’s more efficient 14nm LPP (Low Power Plus) FinFET process, which should help it overcome the overheating issues that bogged down the 810 and even attain higher clock speeds.
In fact, this is the same process used by the new Samsung Exynos 8890 processor in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. And judging by the stellar performance of the Exynos 7420 on the Galaxy S6 that used the earlier 14nm LPE (Low Power Early) FinFET process, we can certainly expect good things from the Snapdragon 820, especially considering that 14nm LPP reportedly offers even better power efficiency than LPE. On top of that, 14nm LPP features changes to the transistor structure and process optimizations as well, including the use of a taller fin height compared to 14nm LPE for instance.
The Exynos 8890 in certain versions of the Galaxy S7 is also manufactured on the same 14nm LPP process.
Furthermore, as in the desktop space, there’s been constant debate about whether more cores is indeed better. Chipmakers are having a field day with their own interpretations of the optimal solution, ranging from Apple’s dual-core A9 chip to the 10-core MediaTek Helio X20. As it turns out, Qualcomm is taking something of a middle ground here, and the Snapdragon 820 will have just four CPU cores.
The four Kryo CPU cores are arranged in a dual-cluster, heterogeneous configuration, much like ARM’s big.LITTLE design. In the latter arrangement, the performance-oriented Cortex-A57 cores and more power-efficient Cortex-A53 cores are separated into “big” and “LITTLE” clusters respectively. They then work in tandem with each other, but with each core doing the work it has been designed for. So if the phone was running low-intensity tasks like Web surfing or texting, only the Cortex-A53 cores would fire up. But launch a graphically intensive game, and the A57 cores will take over. The overall effect of this is lower power consumption and better battery life.
Similarly, the two Kryo CPU clusters are optimized to operate at different frequencies and power levels, even though their underlying architecture of each core is the same. The two cores in the lower power cluster operate up to 1.6GHz and share a 512KB L2 cache, while the other two cores in the high-performance cluster operate at frequencies up to 2.2GHz and share a larger 1MB L2 cache. Qualcomm says that it has deliberately omitted an L3 cache because the potential benefits did not trump the extra cost in higher energy consumption and die space.
The four Kryo CPU cores are arranged in two-core clusters in a configuration similar to ARM's big.LITTLE architecture. (Image Source: AnandTech)
All in all, Qualcomm is claiming up to twice the power efficiency over the Snapdragon 810, and also twice the performance. Of course, we’d be naive to believe that this will play out in the real world, so do expect significant improvements, but not a literal doubling of performance.
More than just a CPU upgrade
The Snapdragon 820 is so much more than its custom Kryo CPU core.
But while the CPU cores may comprise the meat of the Snapdragon 820’s performance improvements, the entire Snapdragon 820 SoC includes far more than just a swanky new custom CPU. In fact, it is intended to bring about new user experiences – better security, advanced imaging, and virtual reality to name just a few – by taking advantage of heterogeneous compute capabilities.
In a word, Qualcomm’s latest SoC features a brand new Adreno 530 GPU, a Hexagon 680 DSP for advanced input processing, a Spectra image signal processor (ISP), and a speedy X12 LTE modem, all of which enable important new capabilities and applications in the upcoming generation of smartphones.
Zeroth
Several of these new capabilities are only possible because of Zeroth, a software and hardware architecture designed to offer high-performance on-device cognitive capabilities by tapping directly into the Snapdragon chip’s heterogeneous compute capabilities. Zeroth also comprises machine learning algorithms and things like low-power sensor processing.
The applications of the Zeroth cognitive computing platform are vast and wide-ranging. It can lead to things like smarter virtual assistants, which takes a lot more than just a more powerful processor. Cognitive technologies are all about context, patterns, and the ability to tease meaning from them and learn about them. Many of these algorithms are actually inspired by the human brain, and could potentially exceed what our gray matter is capable of.
Taken to its logical conclusion, cognitive technologies like machine learning, computer vision, always-on sensing and intelligent connectivity will essentially expand our abilities by being able to sense and respond to the environment and various cues. Another key benefit is better privacy and security. Because processing can be done locally on the device, data is a lot less vulnerable as there’s no need to go through a third-party server.
When mature, these technologies could also use data gathered from our daily routines to make our lives easier by personalizing our mobile experiences with intuitive predictions and other help. Given the highly sensitive nature of user data of this sort, the added security of on-device computing is even more appealing.
While we’re not quite at that stage yet, Qualcomm’s Zeroth platform is part of the first wave of processors to support cognitive computing, and the Snapdragon 820 is an integral part of this push. As a sign of things to come, Qualcomm has also announced something called Snapdragon Smart Protect, a malware behavior analysis feature that allows mobile devices to respond more effectively to incursions and adapt to a burgeoning mobile threat landscape. In a nutshell, Smart Protect can fight malware in real-time, thus addressing a key weakness in many anti-virus and anti-malware applications today – their reliance on databases of known threats.
There is naturally a delay between when a threat emerges, when it is detected, and when a solution is finally released. Phones are vulnerable to brand new threats, but Smart Protect can effectively sniff out abnormal or suspicious behavior in real-time.
Smart Protect can fight new incidences of malware on-the-fly. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
Another example is Qualcomm’s Scene Detect technology, which applies Zeroth to the field of computer vision and image recognition. By taking advantage of the heterogeneous computing architecture on the Snapdragon 820, Scene Detect can automatically analyze and classify images in the fraction of a second. Neural networks are employed for things like pattern matching, scene detection, and object recognition. Eventually, we could even see use in applications like automatic photo tagging and sorting or even augmented reality.
Smart Protect and Scene Detect are just the tip of the iceberg though. The onus is on developers to get on board with the Zeroth platform to create applications that can exploit the heterogeneous computing capabilities of the Snapdragon 820. Till then, a lot of the possibilities we talked about (however exciting they may be) are just that, possibilities.
The sum of the parts
Here's an overview of the different components on the Snapdragon 820 SoC. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
Adreno 530 GPU
Qualcomm is citing up to a 40% improvement in performance over the Adreno 430.
As expected, Qualcomm has been sparse on the details concerning the Adreno 530 GPU found in the Snapdragon 820 SoC. This is Qualcomm’s highest performing GPU, designed to deliver up to 40% more performance compared to the Adreno 430 found on the Snapdragon 810. Qualcomm is also claiming a commensurate reduction in power consumption compared to the previous generation chip, which should translate into the ability to run more demanding games for longer.
Other details that we do have is the fact that the GPU operates at a frequency range of 133MHz to 634MHz. Furthermore, it is reportedly not a complete redesign over the Adreno 430, and instead features small architectural tweaks throughout for incremental improvements. For instance, it now makes better use of data compression when handling and moving data around in order to lower power consumption. Video processing is also another area where Qualcomm demonstrated marked increases in compute performance, up to 2.5x better than the Adreno 400 series GPU.
Qualcomm also highlighted that the Adreno 530 GPU will support Vulkan 1.0, the recently-released cross-platform, open-source API. Vulkan gives game and application developers explicit control over the GPU’s resources and allows them to leverage multi-threaded architectures more effectively. Support for Vulkan will thus position Snapdragon 820-equipped phones to enjoy the improved performance and experience offered by applications that use Vulkan.
Spectra ISP
One of the strengths of the Spectra ISP is the ability to preserve the dynamic range of a scene. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
Imaging prowess is one of the most important aspects of any phone, and the Spectra ISP supports three simultaneous cameras (one front, two rear) at up to 25-megapixels and at 30fps with no shutter lag. Qualcomm has again been sparse on the details, but we do know that Spectra features 14-bit dual ISPs that reportedly offer more natural skin tones while photo taking.
It also utilizes a flexible hybrid autofocus framework and multi-sensor fusion algorithms for the next generation of computational photography – a term for the processing techniques that use digital computation in digital image capture. There is also support for technologies like dynamic Local Tone Mapping that remaps tones upon each other to simulate the appearance of high dynamic range (HDR) images and boost detail in scenes with a wide dynamic range.
Other benefits include better power efficiency, improved noise reduction, and higher throughput thanks to advanced compression techniques and the higher-bandwidth C-PHY serial interface that connects the camera module to the application processor.
Hexagon 680 DSP
The Hexagon 680 DSP actually comprises three parts for different, specialized tasks. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
The Hexagon 680 DSP handles applications like voice and audio processing, in addition to other input processing. As a specialized processor, it can do these tasks much faster and more efficiently than a conventional CPU, which is why the Snapdragon processor offloads specific tasks to the DSP to save power.
The new DSP actually comprises three parts – one for processing audio, voice, images and other low-power compute tasks, a “low-power island” for specially designated sensors, and a third modem DSP that deals with global LTE and tasks like carrier aggregation. In fact, this is the first time Qualcomm has gone with a completely separate DSP for sensor processing in the form of the “lower power island”, which can potentially improve battery life of devices during always-on scenarios, for instance when it is being used as a step tracker.
In addition, Qualcomm is citing extra horsepower thanks to something called Hexagon Vector eXtensions, or HVX for short. HVX supports advanced imaging and computer vision when paired with the Qualcomm Spectra camera ISP. So if you wanted to snap a picture in a poorly-lit room, the Snapdragon 820 would use both the ISP and DSP to brighten areas of both photos and videos on-the-fly that would otherwise be too dark. Working in tandem with the ISP, the Hexagon 680 DSP enables the Snapdragon 820 to perform this adaptive brightening several times more quickly and still use less power.
The Hexagon 680 DSP actually works much like a multi-core CPU, with a multi-thread programmable compute engine that allows parallel execution of both audio and imaging tasks. Overall, this should further increase battery life and performance because processes are more efficient and can be completely more quickly.
Snapdragon X12 LTE modem
The integrated X12 LTE modem is the first to support up to 600Mbps Cat 12 LTE in the downlink, and up to 150Mbps Cat 13 LTE in the uplink. It also supports LTE-U, a technology that attempts to boost downlink speeds by utilizing the unlicensed 5GHz spectrum that has traditionally been utilized by Wi-Fi.
We’ve already covered the new modem in greater detail in a separate article, and you can head there to find out more. But just to recap, there are a couple of major upgrades that really stand out – 4x4 MIMO and support for 256-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) for download. We’d go into the details, but all you really need to know is that they both enable more data to be transmitted at any one time, effectively increasing your potential throughput.
Of course, getting a Snapdragon 820-equipped phone will not magically increase your mobile download speeds. A lot of it depends on things like carrier infrastructure and support for Qualcomm’s new technologies, and we’ve to also bear in mind that the global average for LTE download speeds is just 13.5Mbps.
Qualcomm may have raced even further ahead with its X16 Gigabit-class modem, but we’ll have to content ourselves with talking about mere possibilities for now.
We may have a real winner of MWC, and it's not a smartphone manufacturer
Qualcomm's hardware partners are falling over themselves to announce the features of the Snapdragon 820.
The Snapdragon 820 may amount to quite a significant upgrade over the 810, but as we mentioned in our opening paragraphs, the key narrative here is really about Qualcomm’s return to the top.
The company may not have wowed us with anything particularly new in Barcelona, but it managed to be present almost everywhere we turned. From the LG G5 to even the enterprise-oriented HP Elite X3, the Snapdragon chip was there to announce Qualcomm’s comeback. Even the trio of entry-level phones that HTC outed feature lower-powered Snapdragon chips, albeit from the previous generation.
In the week leading up to MWC, Qualcomm also announced three new mid-range SoCs – the Snapdragon 425, 325 and 625 – showing that it had not forgotten about mainstream smartphones. On top of that, it also announced the Snapdragon X16, a brand new Gigabit-class LTE modem that may just have been a little ahead of the times. It is even looking to make inroads in the wearables space with the Snapdragon Wear ecosystem – one Qualcomm executive even told us that he envisions a future where wearables will be as indispensable as smartphones (if Qualcomm has its way, all these will be powered by Snapdragon chips).
At MWC itself, there was the usual fierce competition among smartphone manufacturers to dominate the news pipeline with their latest flagship device. We yet again found ourselves asking the perennial question: so who won? Was it Samsung? Or did LG come ahead this time with its modular take on the G5?
Does the G5's modular approach help it take the cake at MWC 2016?
But as the case may be, perhaps neither. As a behind-the-scenes actor in the mobile space, Qualcomm is easily overlooked despite the outsize role it plays in everything, from providing the chip that runs your phone to the modems that let you upload your latest cup of coffee to Instagram. But play an outsize role it does, and not every company gets to have a presence at nearly all the major brand announcements. And if you look at our round-up article featuring all the phones that launched at MWC 2016, just about everything has a Snapdragon processor in it. 2016 is looking like a good year for Qualcomm, especially coming off a shaky performance the year before, which saw it lay off up to 15% of its staff.
Of course, the competition isn’t standing still. Samsung’s Exynos 7420 was excellent, and there’s no reason to believe that the Exynos 8890 won’t be. MediaTek also continues to be a player in the entry-level and mid-range space, and its deca-core Helio X20 shows that it is willing to play for high-end devices as well.
But for now at least, Qualcomm appears to be riding the wave to the top again. So there you have it, right from Qualcomm themselves: how to win at MWC without announcing a single product.
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