Snapdragon (system on chip)

Snapdragon is a suite of system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor products for mobile devices designed and marketed by Qualcomm, who often refers to these SoCs as "mobile platforms". They typically integrate central processing units (CPU) based on the ARM architecture, a graphics processing unit (GPU), some digital signal processors (DSP), and may or may not include a cellular modem. Snapdragon semiconductors are designed for embedded systems, e.g., smartphones, netbooks, and vehicles. In addition to the processors, the lineup also includes modems, Wi-Fi chips and mobile charging products.

The first Snapdragon-branded product was released in December 2007, using CPU based on Qualcomm’s “Scorpion” microarchitecture. The architecture’s successor, “Krait”, was introduced in 2011 and featured asynchronous symmetrical multi-processing: cores can adjust their clock speed and voltage independent of each other. On the announcement of Snapdragon 800 in 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, Qualcomm renamed their prior models to the 200, 400 and 600 series. Qualcomm re-branded its modem products under the Snapdragon name in February 2015.

History

Pre-release

Qualcomm announced it was developing the Scorpion central processing unit (CPU) in November 2007. The Snapdragon system on chip (SoC) was announced in November 2006 and included the Scorpion processor, as well as other semiconductors. This also included Qualcomm's first custom Hexagon digital signal processor (DSP).

According to a Qualcomm spokesperson, it was named Snapdragon, because "Snap and Dragon sounded fast and fierce." The following month, Qualcomm acquired Airgo Networks for an undisclosed amount; it said Airgo's 802.11a/b/g and 802.11n Wi-Fi technology would be integrated with the Snapdragon product suite. Early versions of Scorpion had a processor core design similar to the Cortex-A8.

2007-2013: 32-bit ARM

The first Snapdragon was released in November 2007. CNET noted its relatively high 1 GHz CPU clock speed as the product's "claim to fame", when contemporary smartphone processors are commonly using 500 MHz CPU. The product can output display at up to 720p resolution, render 3D graphics, and supports a up-to 12-megapixel camera. By November 2008, 15 device manufacturers had embed Snapdragon chips in their consumer electronics products.

In November 2008, a techdemo processor and netbook was showcased. The processor consumed less power than the contemporary Intel Atom Z500 and was claimed to be more cost-effective when released. The netbook used 1.5 GHz processors and was intended for developing markets.

In collaboration with Sun, Java SE received Snapdragon-specific optimizations in May 2009. Qualcomm started using 45nm process for SoC productions in late 2009.

By June 2010, Snapdragon chips were incorporated into 120 product designs in development. The company announced the MSM8960 for LTE networks that November.

Apple had a dominant market position for smartphones at the time and did not incorporate Snapdragon into any of its products. The success of Snapdragon therefore relied on competing Android phones.

Support for the Windows Phone 7 operating systems was added to Snapdragon in October 2010.

By 2011 Snapdragon was embedded in Hewlett Packard's WebOS devices and had a 50% market share of a $7.9 billion smartphone processor market.

As of July 2014 Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips were embedded in 41% of smartphones.

Snapdragon chips are also used in Android-based smartwatches, and in vehicles like the Maserati Quattroporte and Cadillac XTS.
In early 2011, Qualcomm announced Krait, an in-house CPU microarchitecture design supporting the ARM v7 instruction set. SoCs featuring Krait were named S4 supports asynchronous symmetrical multi-processing (aSMP), meaning each processor core adjusted its clock speed and voltage based on the device's activity in order to optimize battery usage. Prior models were renamed to S1, S2 and S3 to distinguish between each generation.

The S4-based generation of Snapdragon SoCs began shipping to product manufacturers with the MSM8960 in February 2012. In benchmark tests by Anandtech, the MSM8960 had better performance than any other processor tested. In an overall system benchmark, the 8960 obtained a score of 907, compared to 528 and 658 for the Galaxy Nexus and HTC Rezound respectively. In a Quadrant benchmark test, which assesses raw processing power, a dual-core Krait processor had a score of 4,952, whereas the quad-core Tegra 3 was just under 4,000. The quad-core version, APQ8064, was made available in July 2012. It was the first Snapdragon SoC to use Qualcomm's Adreno 320 graphics processing unit (GPU).

Adoption of Snapdragon contributed to Qualcomm's transition from a wireless modem company to one that also produces a wider range of hardware and software for mobile devices. In July 2011 Qualcomm acquired certain assets from GestureTek in order to incorporate its gesture recognition intellectual property into Snapdragon SoCs. In mid-2012 Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon software development kit (SDK) for Android devices at the Uplinq developer conference. The SDK includes tools for facial recognition, gesture recognition, noise cancellation and audio recording. That November Qualcomm acquired some assets from EPOS Development in order to integrate its stylus and gesture recognition technology into Snapdragon products. It also collaborated with Microsoft to optimize Windows Phone 8 for Snapdragon semiconductors.

By 2012, the Snapdragon S4 (Krait core) had taken a dominant share from other Android system-on-chips like Nvidia Tegra and Texas Instruments OMAP which caused the latter to exit the market. As of July 2014, the market share of Android phones had grown to 84.6 percent, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips powered 41% of smartphones.

Snapdragon SoCs are also used in most Windows phones and most phones entering the market in mid-2013.

2014–present: 64-bit ARM

The debut of Apple's 64-bit A7 chip in the iPhone 5S forced Qualcomm to rush out a competing 64-bit solution, despite the capable performance of the Snapdragon 800/801/805, since their existing Krait cores were only 32-bit. The first 64-bit SoCs, the Snapdragon 808 and 810, were rushed to market and released in 2014 using Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 cores. They suffered from overheating problems and throttling, particularly the 810, which led to Samsung ditching Snapdragon for its Galaxy S6 flagship phone.

The entry-level 200 series was expanded with six new processors using 28 nanometer manufacturing and dual or quad-core options in June 2013.

In February 2015, Qualcomm re-branded its stand-alone modem products under the Snapdragon name; they were distinguished from SoCs using the "x" designation, such as the X7 or X12 modem.

In early 2016, Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 820, an ARM 64-bit quad-core processor using in-house designed Kryo cores. A higher clocked variant is available as the Snapdragon 821. The SoC uses Samsung's 14-nanometer FinFET process. Together released is the Neural Processing Engine SDK supporting AI acceleration.

The first Snapdragon modem for 5G networks, the X50, was announced in October 2016 and released in late 2019.

The octa-core Snapdragon 835 SoC is announced on 17 November 2016. It uses modified Cortex-A73 and A53 cores and is built using Samsung's 10 nanometer FinFET process.

At Computex 2017 in May, Qualcomm and Microsoft announced plans to launch Snapdragon-based laptops running Windows 10. Qualcomm partnered with HP, Lenovo, and Asus to release slim portables and 2-in-1 devices powered by the Snapdragon 835.

Snapdragon 845 uses updated Cortex-A75 and A55 CPU, and the same 10-nanometer manufacturing process as 835.

The 7 series is introduced in early 2018, targeting pricing and performances between the 6 and 8 series.

Asus, HP and Lenovo have begun selling laptops with Snapdragon-based CPUs running Windows 10 on ARM under the name " Always Connected PCs".

The Snapdragon 855 was released in 2019 and built on TSMC's 7 nanometer process.

The Snapdragon 865 supported 5G cellular network through a separate X55 modem. The 765 has integrated 5G.

The Snapdragon 888 announced in December 2020 is the first Qualcomm SoC to feature ARM's Cortex-X series CPU architecture.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which landed on Mars in 2021, has a Snapdragon 801 processor integrated onboard.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 added support for Wi-Fi 7.

Description and current models

Snapdragon system on chip products typically include a graphics processing unit (GPU), a global positioning system (GPS) and an (optional) cellular modem integrated into a single package. It has software included that operates graphics, video and picture-taking.

The current Snapdragon naming scheme was implemented after the announcement of Snapdragon 800 family in 2013. Models prior to it were renamed to the 200, 400 or 600 series. The former two targeting entry-level products, while the 600 and 800 targeting mid-range and high-end products, respectively.

The Snapdragon 805 was released in November 2013. The 410, which is intended for low-cost phones in developing nations, was announced the following month. In January 2014, Qualcomm introduced a modified version of the Snapdragon 600 called 602A that is intended for in-car infotainment screens, backup cameras, and other driver assistance products. The quad-core Snapdragon 610 and eight-core 615 were announced in February 2014. The Snapdragon 808 and 810 were announced in April 2014. The Snapdragon 835, announced in November 2017, is the first Qualcomm SOC that is built on a 10 nm architecture. Qualcomm's new flagship chip for 2018, the 845, was announced in December 2017. According to Qualcomm, the 845 is 25-30% faster than the 835.

In 2017 the 660 and 630 replaced the 653 and 626 mid-range models and several chips in the 400 product family were revised. In February 2017, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X20 cellular modem, intended for 5G cell phone networks, and two new chips for 802.11ax commercial Wi-Fi networks. This was followed by the addition of the 636 to the 600 product family that October, which Qualcomm said would be 40 percent faster than the 630.

The 8cx series are SoCs designed for Windows laptops. The first generation 8cx featured two CPU clusters consisting of four Cortex-A76 and A55 CPU cores, respectively. Compared to the contemporary 855, the first 8cx has a larger 10MB L3 cache and double the GPU floating point performance.

Sponsoring

Snapdragon is to be the primary shirt sponsor for English football club Manchester United starting with the 2024–25 season, replacing the German company TeamViewer.

The brand also holds naming rights for Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. The stadium hosts San Diego State Aztecs football, San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), and San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

See also

* List of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors
* Adreno
* Qualcomm Hexagon
* Snapdragon Stadium

References

Further reading

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External links

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{{Single-board computer

ARM-based systems on chips
Computer-related introductions in 2008
Embedded microprocessors
Gesture recognition
Qualcomm
System on a chip