Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888: 2021 high-end processors compared

Not content with a high-end chipset release, Qualcomm has just unveiled its second 800 series processor in just two months. The Snapdragon 870 5G mobile platform promises higher clock speeds than last year’s processors and will power upcoming flagships from Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo’s Iqoo brand and Xiaomi.

In reality, the processor is closer to a “Snapdragon 865 Plus Plus” than a whole new design for affordable flagship smartphones. We were hoping that a Snapdragon 888 Lite would fill this gap, but it doesn’t. How does this processor compare to Qualcomm’s other 2021 premium tier option? Let’s dive into the Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888.

Snapdragon SoC Guide: All Qualcomm smartphone processors explained

Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888 specs

	Snapdragon 888	Snapdragon 870	Snapdragon 865 Plus
Processor configuration	1x 2.84 GHz (Cortex-X1) 3 x 2.4 GHz (Cortex-A78) 4x 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A55)	1x 3.2 GHz (Cortex-A77) 3 x 2.4 GHz (Cortex-A77) 4x 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A55)	1x 3.1 GHz (Cortex-A77) 3 x 2.4 GHz (Cortex-A77) 4x 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A55)
GPU	Adreno 660	Adreno 650	Adreno 650
DSP	Hexagon 780 (scalar, tensor and vector merged)	Hexagon 698	Hexagon 698
Process	5 nm	7nm FinFET	7nm FinFET
Camera support	• Single hit of 200 MP • 84MP single with zero shutter lag • 64MP + 25MP without shutter lag • Triple 24MP without shutter lag • Hybrid AF • 10-bit HEIF image capture • HDR video • multi-image noise reduction • Classification, segmentation and replacement of objects in real time	• Single hit of 200 MP • 64MP without shutter lag • 25MP dual camera with zero shutter lag • Hybrid AF • HDR video • multi-image noise reduction • Classification, segmentation and replacement of objects in real time	• Single hit of 200 MP • 64MP without shutter lag • 25MP dual camera with zero shutter lag • Hybrid AF • HDR video • multi-image noise reduction • Classification, segmentation and replacement of objects in real time
Video capture	8K at 30 fps 4K UHD at 120 fps 720p at 960 fps	8K at 30 fps 4K UHD at 120 fps 720p at 960 fps	8K at 30 fps 4K UHD at 120 fps 720p at 960 fps
Video playback	8K 4K HDR up to 120 fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree	8K 4K HDR up to 120 fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree	8K 4K HDR up to 120 fps H.265 and VP9 video decoder 360 degree
Charging	Quick charge 5	Fast charge 4+ Fast charge AI	Fast charge 4+ Fast charge AI
Modem	X60 LTE / 5G (integrated) 7500 Mbps down 3000 Mbps and above	X55 LTE / 5G (external) 7500 Mbps down 3000 Mbps and above	X55 LTE / 5G (external) 7500 Mbps down 3000 Mbps and above
Other networking	Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a / b / g / n	Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a / b / g / n	Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a / b / g / n

Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888: more of the same

A quick navigation through the table above reveals a number of key differences in the Snapdragon 870 vs Snapdragon 888 debate. First, the Snapdragon 870 is based on the slightly older Arm Cortex-A77 large processor cores, rather than the slightly older ones. State-of-the-art Arm Cortex-X1 and A78 clusters found in the Snapdragon 888. Processor architecture is often more important than raw clock speeds. The Cortex-X1 architecture does much more per clock than the Cortex-A77 and comes out on top despite the 2.84 GHz clock speed deviation from 3.2 GHz.

The Model 870 also features a latest generation Adreno 650 GPU, Hexagon 698 DSP, and older image processing blocks, compared to the 888’s Adreno 660 GPU, Hexagon 780 DSP, and the more powerful Spectra ISP. This makes the 888 the top chip when it comes to gaming, AI processing, and imaging technologies. While the 870’s slightly older features remain very competitive, they include support for dual camera processing, 8K video recording, as well as 5G mmWave and Sub-6GHz networks.

See also: Snapdragon 888 vs Exynos 2100 vs Kirin 9000 vs Apple A14 spec comparison

Another big difference is that the Snapdragon 870 retains a Snapdragon X55 5G external modem rather than upgrading to a built-in part and is still manufactured on a 7nm process rather than 5nm. As such, the Snapdragon 888 maintains a solid lead in the energy efficiency department as well as in terms of performance. There is also no support for Quick Charge 5, Bluetooth 5.2, or Wi-Fi 6E with the 870.

The 3.2% increase in clock speed is the only difference compared to the latest generation Snapdragon 865 Plus.

In fact, the 870 is based entirely on last year’s Snapdragon 865 Plus. The only difference is the increased core clock speed of the Prime processor. From 3.1 GHz in the 865 Plus to 3.2 GHz in the 870, which is a rather minor change of 3.2%. Keep in mind that the Snapdragon 865 Plus was just a faster version of the Snapdragon 865. This means that the Snapdragon 870 feature set is fully recovered from 2020.

That being said, the Snapdragon 865 Plus offers a 10% improvement in CPU and GPU over the Snapdragon 865. The Snapdragon 870 still benefits from this performance improvement over a number of 2020 flagship handsets that did not feature the variant of the Plus chipset. We haven’t seen too many Snapdragon 865 Plus smartphones released in 2020, so the Snapdragon 870 will still offer a small performance improvement over a number of last-gen handsets. Although a far cry from the 30-40% performance improvements promised by the Snapdragon 888.

See also: Analysis – Qualcomm just spent $ 1.4 billion to compete with Apple’s Arm laptops

Should I buy a phone with a Snapdragon 870 inside?

There’s a lot more to a great smartphone experience than just a processor, so we’d be hesitant to make recommendations based on the single chip. Unless you’re looking for top performance and a built-in 5G modem package, that’s right. In this case, the Snapdragon 888 is the way to go.

On paper, the Snapdragon 870 is a good processor, but it’s basically just a rebranding of next-gen tech. Admittedly, we had no reason to complain about the capabilities of the smartphones of 2020 and this chip will continue to perform well in 2021. Just be aware that, despite its new name, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 offers performance, features and efficiency. energetic. which were already available in 2020. So don’t switch from a latest generation flagship to a Snapdragon 870 phone just for performance alone.

The Snapdragon 870 could help create affordable flagships with next-gen performance.

Even so, the Snapdragon 870 remains an attractive option. We are well past the stage of smartphone performance. Instead, price becomes more and more preferable to calculating numbers. The Snapdragon 870 may well fit into the growing gap between the mid-range Snapdragon 765G and the ultra-premium Snapdragon 888 – provided Qualcomm competitively prices the chip.

Despite its last-gen credentials, manufacturers can certainly build great phones based on the Snapdragon 870. We’ll just have to wait and see what kind of value proposition they deliver. Stay tuned for announcements of phones in Q2 2021.