Qualcomm officially unveiled its new Snapdragon 835 processor built on Samsung's 10nm process, not only boosting performance but also reducing the time it takes to charge a device.
The next-generation SoC for mobile devices is the latest and greatest in Qualcomm's extensive lineup of more than 200 designs, and follows the powerful Snapdragon 820 and 821 processors powering the latest Android flagships.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 On Samsung Tech
What makes the Snapdragon 835 truly special is that it's based on Samsung's 10nm FinFET technology, which is unprecedented for semiconductor processing tech.
Many OEMs currently making semiconductors are relying on a 14nm technology, which is already impressive, but 10nm tech takes it to the next level by making connections at molecular-level size fractions. This, in turn, should substantially boost performance while dramatically reducing power consumption.
By extending a decade-long collaboration with Samsung, Qualcomm will tap the 10nm technology and improve its SoCs significantly, starting with the Snapdragon 835.
"We are excited to continue working together with Samsung in developing products that lead the mobile industry," says Keith Kressin, Qualcomm Technologies SVP of product management. "Using the new 10nm process node is expected to allow our premium tier Snapdragon 835 processor to deliver greater power efficiency and increase performance while also allowing us to add a number of new capabilities that can improve the user experience of tomorrow's mobile devices."
How Is The Snapdragon 835 Better?
According to Qualcomm, the new Snapdragon 835 boasts a 30 percent improvement in area efficiency and a 27 percent greater performance, all while reducing power consumption by up to 40 percent. Qualcomm does not specify what grounds it used for the comparison, but it's likely compared to the Snapdragon 820 series.
Quick Charge 4
In addition to the improvements in efficiency and performance, the Snapdragon 835 also rocks Qualcomm's latest Quick Charge 4 technology, allegedly delivering 20 percent faster charging times compared to Quick Charge 3. This should translate to super-fast charging times with up to 5 hours of battery life in just a 5-minute charge.
Qualcomm is basing these claims on internal testing with a 2,750 mAh battery, which is pretty much the average in premium smartphones currently available on the market.
It remains to be seen, however, how the Snapdragon 835 fares in terms of battery endurance, which is just as important as efficiency, performance and charging. Quick Charge 4 fully complies with USB Type-C and USB-PD. Qualcomm previously had some issues with Quick Charge 3 USB Type-C compatibility.
Availability
Lastly, the Snapdragon 835 with Quick Charge 4 and Samsung's 10nm process will hit the market in the first half of next year, likely arriving in premium flagships such as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8. With this in mind, we might get a preview at CES 2017.
