Qualcomm’s latest mobile chip: Snapdragon 7 Gen

27/5/2022

Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, a mobile platform designed to deliver the “total gaming package” and it comes bearing several 7 Series firsts.

Sitting below the flagship Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, the 7 Gen 1 will likely feature in more mid-range devices, hopefully including some of the best mid-range phones of the year.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 supports high-speed 5G connectivity for low-latency cloud gaming. The 4th Gen Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF System enables mobile devices to reach speeds of up to 4.4 Gbps.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s FastConnect 6900 Mobile Connectivity System allows for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E speeds of up to 3.6 Gbps, there’s Bluetooth 5.3 support, and LE Audio broadcasts in-game sound to multiple devices at a time.

Speaking of audio, the chipset supports Snapdragon Sound for lossless, CD-quality audio, while the next-gen Quad HD+ display presents realistic graphics for more immersive gameplay.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 also allows for over 20% faster graphics rendering and ultra-low-latency HDR gaming, thanks to an improved version of Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU.

There are a number of Snapdragon Elite Gaming features supported here too, including the Adreno Frame Motion Engine, which upscales content by doubling framerates without increasing power consumption, and Qualcomm Game Quick Touch, a feature that helps to reduce touch latency.

When it comes to snapping your own photos, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is the first 7 Series chip to support 200-megapixel images. The Triple ISP is capable of capturing photos with up to three cameras at once, while 4K HDR+ allows users to produce vivid 4K HDR video.

The 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine is also coming to the 7 Series for the first time, with help from the brand’s Hexagon Processor. The engine supports up to 30% improved AI performance, better digital zoom and more accurate autofocus with Camera Deep Learning Face Detect – even when wearing a mask.

Finally, there’s the Trust Management Engine and Android Ready SE, two security features that have also arrived on the 7 Series for the first time. The Trust Management Engine improves security in apps and services, while Android Ready SE supports digital car keys and drivers licences.