Snapdragon 618, 620 getting new names

Thursday, 17 December 2015 at 09:08

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 618 and the 620 are now set to get new names.

The 618 and the 620 will respectively be called the Snapdragon 650 and the 652.

The reason why Qualcomm have decided to give these two SoCs new identities is to give a clearer idea of where the SoCs stand in terms of performance, etc.

Essentially, the the renaming will allow better distinguishability between other lower-end Snapdragon 600 series SoCs (615, 616, 617) and the ex-618 and ex-620.

Here's what Qualcomm had to say about the renaming:

The renaming is to recognize the significant modem, processing, graphics, and camera advantages these two processors bring to the Snapdragon 600 tier. We’ve been developing the Snapdragon 652 and Snapdragon 650 processors over the last 12 months, and the superior capabilities and performance positions them well above other processors in this tier.

For example, the 4K Ultra HD video capture, playback and gaming experiences are unique for this tier, while the hi-resolution camera and 4G LTE experiences push the limits for this category. Although we prioritize user experiences over other measures, benchmark scores also carry weight and they, too, confirm the value in repositioning these two processors to properly reflect a higher position within the Snapdragon 600 tier.

At Qualcomm Technologies, we don’t take changes lightly, but we also recognize it’s important to ensure our processors are well understood by our customers and reflect both the performance and capabilities inherent in their design. With this new naming and positioning, the Snapdragon 600 tier continues to provide excellent mobile experiences and offers superior performance with leading technology and features, with the Snapdragon 652 and 650 leading the pack.

The Snapdragon 650 and the 652 come with on-board modems with LTE and Global Mode RF360 support.

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