Qualcomm’s Next Mid-Range Android Chip Can Support Up to 16GB of RAM

Qualcomm has announced its second-generation mid-range mobile chip. The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is built on the 4nm process. It’ll be available on Android smartphones starting this month.

Qualcomm calls this its “most powerful 7 series ever,” though it tends to say that about every new generation of its system on a chip. But it promises massive gains in actual results. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 offers a 50% performance improvement over its predecessor, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. We’ll have to benchmark it independently when the chip comes out. Most phones that use the 7 Gen 1 chips are sold overseas.

On paper, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 sounds like it could be a versatile chip. It has clock speeds of up to 2.91 Ghz and is compatible phone configurations with up to 16GB of RAM. This could help with the chip’s use in devices other than smartphones. Snapdragon-powered handheld cloud-gaming machines like the Logitech G Cloud and Razer Edge have been held back by having 8GB of RAM or less, for instance. The chip’s CPU is coupled with an Adreno GPU that boasts up to twice the performance of last-gen’s chip. The 7+ Gen 2 is QuickCharge 5 compatible, and Qualcomm says phones can charge up to 50% of their battery in five minutes.

Like the 7 Gen 1, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 has many flagship-style capabilities. It supports up to 200-MP photo capture with its built-in image processor, meaning we could see more affordable phones claiming “space zoom.” It’s compatible with Dolby Vision for displays and supports up to 120Hz refresh rates.

Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is up to 40% better at AI processing. The AI engine also supports Auto Variable Rate Shading (VRS) for upscaling game streams—this will be helpful for cloud gaming on mid-range devices. As for connectivity, this is the first time Qualcomm has offered a 5G/4G dual SIM on the 7-series platform, which will be helpful for affordable devices sold overseas, where this practice is common.

The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip will start shipping this month. The first brands to adopt the processor will be Xiaomi-owned Redmi and BBK-owned Realme, which are only sold overseas.