At the beginning of 2016, Qualcomm updated its line of mid-class chipsets, introducing several interesting models. The middle solution (located between the Snapdragon 430 and 650/652) was the Snapdragon 625, a solid representative of the middle class. In the second half of 2016, interesting smartphones have already been released using this chip, both from recognized giants and companies from China. As of early 2017, the chip is a reference representative of the middle class and remains relevant.

Technically, the Snapdragon 625 chip is a balanced solution created using the latest technological standards. It is created using the 14 nanometer process technology, thus being the first chipset in the series created according to these lithography standards.

CPU

The Snapdragon 625 chipset contains 8 processor cores based on Cortex A53 microarchitecture. They represent an intermediate solution that can provide acceptable performance without loading the battery or overheating. All cores are grouped into a single cluster. Their frequency is adjusted dynamically, depending on the load, and can reach 2 GHz.

GPU and screen

Graphics processing in the Snapdragon 625 is handled by the integrated Adreno 506 graphics processor, which belongs to the newest (at the time of writing) generation of Qualcomm integrated graphics. It contains 96 computing units operating at 650 MHz. The peak performance of Adreno 506 is about 130 GFLOPS. The graphics in Snapdragon 625 support API Vulcan 1.0, OpenGL 3.1, and DirectX 11.2.

The display controller in Snapdragon 625 supports FullHD resolution. The maximum resolution can be 1920x1200 pixels. In this mode, the image refresh rate is 60 Hz (FPS).

Memory controller

The memory controller in the chipset is designed to work with LPDDR3 memory at a frequency of 933 MHz. There is only one communication channel with RAM (which is typical in the middle class), its throughput reaches 7.5 GB/s. To work with permanent memory, eMMC 5.1 and SD 3.0 controllers are provided.

Connection

The modem integrated into the chipset supports LTE Cat 13 in transmission mode (up to 150 Mbit/s) and Cat 7 in reception mode (300 Mbit/s). Theoretically, it is possible to operate 2 SIM cards on LTE networks; in practice, it all depends on the smartphone. Of the older standards, 3G WCDMA (HSPA), CDMA, TD-SCDMA and GSM are supported. All popular frequency ranges are supported at the hardware level, but in a particular device their list may be limited by modem drivers.

Wi-Fi supports 802.11a, b, g, n, ac standards at 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies. Theoretically, the peak speed can reach 433 MB/s, but in practice it will be lower, since only one MIMO channel is provided.

Navigation capabilities allow you to use for orientation GPS satellites, GLONASS, Beidou and even Galileo (which is still at the commissioning stage). There is also support for Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and infrared. Snapdragon 625 is the first mid-range chipset to support USB 3rd generation.

Cameras

The Snapdragon 625 chipset contains dual ISP (image processing processor) which allows for dual cameras. For a single matrix, the resolution is limited to 24 MP. When using two sensors, their resolution should be no more than 12 MP. There is hardware support for recording video in 4K at 30 frames per second.

Other characteristics

Snapdragon 625 is equipped with DSP (processor processing digital signals) Hexagon 546. It is responsible for processing data from various devices, such as a screen sensor, and is designed to reduce the load on the processor cores and reduce battery consumption. The chipset also supports technologies active noise cancellation. The charge controller built into the chip is compatible with fast charging QuickCharge 3.0.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 performance

Modern characteristics are good, but without practical results they make little sense. In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 625 is doing quite well. The processor consists of Cortex A53 cores, which, although not very powerful, are not prone to overheating. In single-core mode, the chip does not work much faster than budget analogues, but in multi-core mode, due to the frequency, there is decent potential. The cores are not grouped into the big.LITTLE scheme, and this provides a foundation for the future.

In the GeekBench 4 test, single-core mode gives about 800 points, multi-core - almost 3000. In AnTuTu, the chipset scores 60-65 thousand points. The graphics account for about 12-15 thousand, which is a good indicator. In practice, these results mean that the processor is quite suitable for demanding games. Many of them will go to maximum settings, only the most demanding ones may need to set the quality to medium.

There is also enough performance reserve for web surfing and multimedia functions. Hardware support for decoding H264 and H265 formats provides the ability to play video high definition, up to 4K resolution.

To summarize, I would like to note that this is one of the best solutions in terms of price/quality in the mobile chipset market. This chip is currently an uncompromising option, and smartphones with it are generally of a good level.

Today we will conduct a detailed comparison of Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 vs 435 to make it easier for you to identify the differences between the Xaiomi Redmi Note 4X and Redmi 4 (X in some countries). This question worries many buyers, since both of these devices provide the perfect balance of performance and autonomy. Although in fact they are representatives of two different categories - budget and medium. Thus, Snapdragon 625 is often used in smartphones with prices starting from $200 ( Samsung Galaxy C7, Moto G5+ and others). But Snapdragon 435 is completely focused on the budget segment and is quite often found in any Chinese state-of-the-art smartphone for almost $100.

In other words, the 600 series of Snapdragon chips is designed for devices with average technical characteristics. While the chips from the Snapdragon 400 series are entirely dedicated to cheap smartphones, the quality of which depends entirely on the greed of the manufacturer. Well, let's start our comparison of Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 vs 435 with a short description of the SoCs we are looking for.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625: technical specifications

• 8 nuclear processor(8×2.0 GHz Cortex-A53)
• 14nm FinFET process technology
• Adreno 506 GPU
• LPDDR3 RAM (single channel)
• Quick Charge 3.0 support
• Qualcomm X9 LTE ​​modem
• Hexagon 546 DSP

The Snapdragon 625 became available in the second quarter of 2016 and is now used in a large number of popular mid-range devices. Its notable feature was the 14nm FinFET process technology, which first appeared in the 600 series of chips. This innovation made it possible to significantly increase the overall performance of the chip and at the same time raise energy saving to a new level. After the resounding success of the Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm introduced new chips. They also use a 14nm process technology, but thanks to various improvements they can easily compete with last year's flagship SoCs.

SD 625 has an eight-core (Cortex-A53) processor operating at maximum clock frequency 2.0 GHz and the new Adreno 506 graphics accelerator, which provides decent gaming performance. Unfortunately, the chip only supports single-channel LPDDR3 memory. The installed modem is completely similar to that found in the SD 435 – Qualcomm X9 LTE. Based on this, you can expect identical connection and operation speeds on different networks. Hexagon 546 is used as a digital signal processor.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 435: technical specifications

• 8 core processor (8×1.4 GHz Cortex-A53)
• 28nm process technology
• Adreno 505 GPU
• RAM LPDDR3 (single channel)‎
• Quick Charge 3.0 support
• Qualcomm X9 LTE ​​modem
• Hexagon 536 DSP

If you do a quick comparison of both chips in terms of technical characteristics, you will find that they are almost similar. At first glance, the only noticeable differences are the technical process and slightly reduced characteristics of the processor and graphics accelerator. However, not all so simple. Lowering the maximum clock frequency allows you to get rid of problems (excessive heating and unreasonably high battery consumption) that appear on high frequencies at 28nm process technology. Of course, Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 will not be able to achieve the performance of SD 625, but carefully selected specifications are the key to the long-term service of this chip. In other words, the company acted very wisely by choosing a balance between power and energy efficiency.

The Snapdragon 435 has a good Adreno 505 graphics accelerator. This allows it to cope well with any 3D games at an average graphics level in 720p resolution. As we already said, a Qualcomm X9 LTE ​​modem is installed here. The Hexagon 536 digital signal processor is slightly inferior to its Snapdragon 625 brother, but it is definitely the best ultra-budget solution of past years. Why past? But because not so long ago Qualcomm presented its new budget chip - . We have already talked about it, so follow the link for detailed information.

First, let's check the performance in popular synthetic tests GeekBench and Antutu. Still, such tests have not yet gone out of fashion, since they allow you to quickly form a generalized opinion about the installed hardware. Then we’ll evaluate the overall and gaming performance, measure the efficiency of using battery power, look at the installed modem and, of course, talk about its attractiveness in terms of price.

Benchmarks

We remind you that we are comparing Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X and Redmi 4 (X in some countries). Both smartphones run on MIUI and passed the tests immediately after turning off all background applications(except for system ones) and reboot. Our results and yours may vary significantly. This doesn't mean much, so don't panic.

AnTuTu points:

Snapdragon 625 – 62,679
Snapdragon 435 – 42,619

Geekbench scores:

Snapdragon 625 – 833 / 3059
Snapdragon 435 – 640 / 2041

Comparing these numbers, it seems pretty obvious that the SD 625 wins by a significant margin. Both in the single-core test and in the multi-core test. It also outperforms SD 435 in AnTuTu. But do these results reflect the actual performance of the SoC? Let's continue with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 vs 435 comparison to find out more.

Overall Performance

Overall, both chips perform quite well on a day-to-day basis without causing the user to experience any issues. Their processors use Cortex-A53, but the SD 625 cores can operate at higher frequencies, which gives it a good advantage in processing heavy graphics. But during interaction with the user interface operating system You won't notice any obvious differences in app responsiveness or animation smoothness. As we said, only gaming enthusiasts will be able to truly feel the difference in the performance of these SoCs. Thanks to the 14nm process technology and increased maximum frequency, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 produces more FPS in the same 3D benchmark tests and popular high-demand games of recent years.

Snapdragon 625: 9/10
Snapdragon 435: 8/10

Gaming Performance

Smartphones with a 625 chip often use a 1080p display. The desired combination produces performance similar to any other device with Snapdragon 435, which uses a screen with a resolution of 720x1280. Here Redmi Note 4X and Redmi 4 show approximately the same performance in games at an average graphics level. Obviously, the first one behaves somewhat more lively even at maximum, while Redmi 4 with similar settings experiences obvious drops in frame rate. The differences between the Adreno 506 and Adreno 505 GPUs are smoothed out thanks to the display resolution. Although, in a specific comparison, the first one turns out to be more powerful.

Snapdragon 625: 9/10
Snapdragon 435: 8.5/10

Energy efficiency

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is manufactured using the 14nm FinFET process, so it consumes less power while delivering greater performance. This means that this SoC heats up less at peak load than the Snapdragon 435. In addition, you can expect improved battery life from a mid-priced chip. Against the backdrop of the stated advantages, the SD 435 can only counter with a lower maximum frequency, which ensures reliable operation without overheating, which entails a decrease in performance. Thus, in terms of energy efficiency, the representative of the 400 series is slightly inferior to the SD 625.

Snapdragon 625: 10/10
Snapdragon 435: 8/10

Modem

Both SoCs use the same modem – Qualcomm X9 LTE. It develops throughput up to 300 Mb/s on the downlink and up to 150 Mb/s on the uplink. The speed provided is more than enough for any everyday tasks. From surfing the Internet to maintaining torrent distributions.

Snapdragon 625: 9/10
Snapdragon 435: 9/10

Price/performance ratio

Our comparison of Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 vs 435 has almost come to an end and now we will find out which chip is the most attractive in terms of price/power. The first SoC is actively used in mid-range smartphones, and the second is often found in the budget segment. For the money, they provide the best performance among the competition. However, the Snapdragon 435 offers most of the good qualities of its brother at just 2/3 the price of the cheapest device in the mid-price category. And this means that he gets extra points on this point.

Snapdragon 625: 9/10
Snapdragon 435: 9.5/10

Overall rating

Having finished with the comparison points, we calculated the overall score for each chip. Visualization, expressed in the form of numbers, makes it easier to assess the overall quality of each chipset.

Snapdragon 625: 9.2/10
Snapdragon 435: 8.6/10

Comparison Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 vs 435 – conclusions

Having examined each chip in detail, we can say with confidence that Snapdragon 625 is better than SD 435. A banal statement that will still help some people decide between Redmi Note 4X and Redmi 4. Meanwhile, it would be wrong to think that Snapdragon 435 is a complete loser. to his brother from the older series. No, the only noticeable differences are visible only in performance and autonomy tests. Therefore, you should not refuse to purchase any high-quality device with SD 435. After all, in any case you will not be disappointed. It's also worth noting that compared to the Snapdragon 650/652, the 14nm process makes the SD 625 more attractive in terms of power efficiency and stable performance. Below we have provided a short list of devices that use the reviewed chips.

Smartphones with Snapdragon 625:

Smartphones with Snapdragon 435:

OPPO A57
Huawei Y7 Prime

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 435 and 625 - new mobile processors with current capabilities

The line of Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processors has been replenished with three new models: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, which will bring with them improved functionality, increased levels of productivity and longer battery life for smartphones and tablets.

The least productive and most affordable of them is the 28nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, equipped with 4 ARM Cortex-A53 processor cores (1.4 GHz) and a Qualcomm Adreno 308 graphics adapter. It can be paired with LPDDR3-667 MHz RAM and eMMC 5.1 drive, support 16-megapixel cameras and screens with a resolution of 1280 x 720.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 model is also based on the 28nm ARM Cortex-A53 design, but is already characterized by support for 8 processor cores and a more powerful graphics adapter (Qualcomm Adreno 505). It is also capable of working in tandem with LPDDR3-800 standard RAM, internal storage eMMC 5.1 and external cards memory standard SD 3.0 (UHS-I).

In turn, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 is built using a 14nm process technology. Its 8 ARM Cortex-A53 processor cores can operate at over 2 GHz when paired with Qualcomm Adreno 506 graphics and LPDDR3-933 MHz RAM. As a result, it can support 24-megapixel cameras and screens with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. If we compare the energy efficiency of the new product with its predecessor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 617), it has increased by 35%.

Comparison table of technical specifications of Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 435 and 625 mobile processors:

Technology continues to develop at a breakneck pace, but in some areas it is not particularly noticeable. One such area is duration. battery life mobile devices, where for many years in a row smartphones have been produced that can last only one day without recharging. Some smartphones show results a little better, some a little worse, but on average one day of work is the usual value.

Some of latest smartphones proved that such a situation should not be considered normal. It is interesting to note that all of these smartphones are not flagship smartphones, they are quite affordable. These devices are connected by the fact that they all run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. budget processor on a modern 14 nm technological process with high energy efficiency.

This processor has allowed many smartphones to reach a battery life of two days, and some even three. Even with the most active use of the device, it will be able to work for a very, very long time. Let's see which smartphones can boast of such performance.

1. The Lenovo P2 with a 5.5-inch screen has the largest battery on this list, with a capacity of 5100 mAh. Depending on the intensity of use, such a smartphone can work for three to four days without recharging. If you try to discharge it in two days, you will see that this requires keeping the screen on all the time. Lenovo P2 runs on a no longer modern operating system, although an update to Android Nougat is promised in April.

   Its user interface does not look very good, to put it mildly, but if battery life is your top priority, you can try to upgrade your smartphone with third-party loaders and icon packs. But the performance of the smartphone in everyday work is surprisingly smooth. The camera quality is average, the 4K video recording quality does not compare with the capabilities flagship smartphones, but given the affordable price this is expected. Lenovo P2 is the champion of autonomy in its price category and that says it all.

2. 

   

   The Moto Z Play is an impressive thin smartphone, in terms of battery capacity it cannot compare with the Lenovo P2. Despite this, the 3510 mAh battery allows the smartphone to work for a surprisingly long time. With an average load, the device lasted two days. Moto Z Play supports magnetically plug-in Moto Mods, so you can connect a speaker, projector, and extra battery to it. The smartphone offers a functional and clean interface that is very close to stock Android versions, and also has a very good camera.

3. This smartphone is quite attractive considering its price of $230 for the base version. In terms of price-quality ratio, this is one of the best modern smartphones. It doesn't last as long as the Lenovo P2 or , but a day and a half isn't a problem for it, and with more moderate use the smartphone can last two days. The advantages of the Moto G5 Plus include an excellent camera and a nice Android shell, but the main advantage has already been named and it is the low price. For the price of one you can buy three Moto G5 Plus devices.

4. The mid-price smartphone from the Chinese company Huawei is selling well in different countries. This happens thanks to the high-quality design and economical processor, which allows the smartphone to work for at least two days without recharging. The main attraction of this device is the selfie camera with a lot of effects, although some of them are minor or aimed at teenagers. The smartphone runs very smoothly, which is typical for Huawei devices. In terms of price-quality ratio, this will be an excellent purchase.

5. Comparison of Snapdragon 435 and 625 processors in terms of phone speed and battery life. Which is better for everyday needs, which smartphones are better for gaming?

   The Snapdragon 435 and Snapdragon 625 processors are aimed at different segments of the mobile phone market. The first is installed in smartphones that can be safely, or with some reservations, as in the case of the LG Q6, classified as a budget segment. The second one appears more often in devices in the mid-price range. Comparing similar chipsets is quite easy, since the benchmarks make it clear who is in charge and which processor is better.

   In the proposed comparison of Snapdragon 435 and 625, we will show the real balance of power in the benchmarks and explain what causes the existing difference. We will compare the participants based on the computing power of the central processing unit (CPU), the potential of the graphics adapter, and also the efficiency of working with the battery. Comparing the autonomy of phones will show how long they will last on one charge Xiaomi smartphones with almost identical batteries, but different processors.

   Snapdragon 435: characteristics

   The Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 processor is a slightly improved version of the previous model - Snapdragon 430. There are no fundamental differences between the chipsets, the Americans simply replaced the modem with a newer one (Cat 13/7), leaving the core architecture and their clock frequency the same.

   The Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 is built on eight reference Cortex-A53 cores. These are cores with low or medium processing power (depending on the clock speed). In the specifications of mobile phones you can often find the characteristic Snapdragon 435 octa-core. The term octa-core emphasizes that the processor is eight-core, although if the chip model is indicated, such a clarification is redundant.

   From an architectural point of view, there are no differences from the S625. The Snapdragon 625 is an eight-core processor built on the same Cortex-A53 cores, but when comparing clock speeds we see a huge difference. If in the 625th Dragon the cores are overclocked to 2.0 GHz, then in the 435th model the maximum clock frequency is limited to 1.4 GHz. It turns out that the S435 will be about 30% slower than its opponent.

   The difference in clock speeds is a direct consequence of the manufacturing process. The S625 chipset is made according to the 14 nm process technology. This means that it is less susceptible to heating and, accordingly, can remain stable when operating at higher frequencies. It is appropriate to note that it is critical heating under load that forces the processor to limit the operating frequency.

   S435 is produced according to the standards of the now outdated 28 nm process technology. It is much more susceptible to heating, which is why the maximum clock frequency should be lower. This is what we see when directly comparing Snapdragon 625 and 435.

   The technical process affects another important characteristic of the processor - its energy efficiency. The finer the technical process, the more economical the chipset consumes the battery, and the longer it lasts mobile phone from one charge. The Snapdragon 625 uses a more refined manufacturing process, which automatically improves the autonomy of devices running on it. The proof of this will be in the second part of the article, when we move from theory to tests of mobile phones.

   Graphics accelerators in Snapdragon 435 and 625 processors of the same generation, although different versions. One might assume that the performance in games would be comparable, but this is not the case, since the overall processing power of the 435 Dragon is significantly lower, and this affects the framerate. But it’s better not to rush to conclusions here, since when choosing a cheap gaming smartphone you have to take into account an additional factor - screen resolution. More about this below in the text.

   So, the Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 processor has modest characteristics. It is inferior to its rival in the clock speed of the CPU cores and in the manufacturing process. Let's see how the lag affects the performance of smartphones running Snapdragon 435 and Snapdragon 625.

   Snapdragon 435 or Snapdragon 625: which is better in benchmarks?

   For comparison, in the benchmarks we selected 3-4 phones each with the processors we were interested in. It would be possible to take more devices, but this would not affect the overall picture in any way, so we decided not to load the diagrams with additional (and redundant in this case) information.

   Snapdragon 435 phones unveiled

   Their opponents today will be the following models on Snapdragon 625:

   • Moto G5s Plus

   First, let's compare the processing power of the Snapdragon 625 and 435 CPU. This parameter affects the smoothness of the operating system, the speed of installation, operation and launch of applications, the stability of applications, as well as many other processes, including the speed of autofocus or HDR in the smartphone camera.

   To compare CPUs, the GeekBench benchmark is traditionally used. The overall speed of the phone is assessed in the Antutu benchmark. The numbers are in front of you on the diagrams, and immediately below them is a short summary.

   GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)

   GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)

   Snapdragon 435 in AnTuTu 6

   In GeekBench 4.1, the Snapdragon 625 is twice as fast as its competitor in multitasking mode. In single-core mode, the gap between processors is not so great, but it is impossible not to notice it. As for Antutu, here the overall picture emerges completely: in the Snapdragon 435 vs 625 pair, the processor with a higher number is 29-32% faster than the competitor, that is, as we predicted.

   Gaming speed

   Which devices can claim to be an inexpensive gaming smartphone - Snapdragon 435 or 625? The question may seem rhetorical at this point, but it’s not that simple. Let's check the balance of power in the 3D benchmark GFX 3.1. Perhaps we will get a slightly different picture?

   GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)

   When simulating on smartphones of the same resolution (1080p), the advantage of the 625 is beyond doubt. However, this is where an additional parameter comes into play in the form of screen resolution. Most S625 smartphones have a FullHD screen, which increases the load on the graphics adapter. Smartphones powered by Snapdragon 435 are more varied: there are both models with FullHD screens and devices with a lower resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels.

   And here the picture changes. At HD resolution, the Snapdragon 435 is ahead of the competition. This does not mean that the processor is more powerful. Simply due to less load on the graphics adapter, the device can produce a higher and more stable frame rate in games.

   GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

   It turns out that if you are looking for a budget (truly budget) gaming smartphone, and are willing to turn a blind eye to the lack of overall processing power, phones with Snapdragon 435 may be the best choice, provided that they have an HD screen (720 x 1280 resolution) . Just in case, we have prepared a list of such devices.

   Snapdragon 435 list of phones with HD screen:

   • Xiaomi Redmi 4X
   • Huawei Enjoy 6s
   • ZTE Nubia M2 Play
   • Oppo A57

   These S435 smartphones are really inexpensive and can provide good frame rates in games. The only thing we should warn you about is that the autonomy of the device will leave much to be desired, and this will be discussed in the next part of the comparative review of processors.

   Autonomy

   If the autonomy of your smartphone comes first for you, you should definitely choose a device based on the S625. Proof of this is a comparison of the operating time from one charge of two Xiaomi phones- Redmi 4X and Redmi 5 Plus. With the same battery capacity, Redmi 5 Plus on S625 lasts longer, and this despite a 6-inch screen with FullHD+ resolution. Even with active screen it consumes battery power more slowly, which perfectly illustrates the superiority of the 625 Dragon in this matter.

   Autonomy of smartphones on Snapdragon 435 and 625.

   	Redmi 4X (S435)	Redmi 5 Plus (S625)
   Battery	4100 mAh	4000 mAh
   Autonomy rating	80 hours	104 hours
   3G calls	19:38	22:16
   Internet	11:37	13:36
   Video	12:00	14:13

   Comparison results between Snapdragon 435 and 625

   So, in a pair of Snapdragon 435 vs 625 processors, which is better? Definitely better than Snapdragon 625. It is faster, smartphones with this processor have better battery life. But if you want to play games on the new phone, keep in mind that the S625 is installed in phones with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, while the Snapdragon 435 can be found in cheaper models with an HD display. A lower resolution will provide higher frame rates in games, although detail will have to be sacrificed in this situation. On the other hand, you can take the S625 model and reduce the resolution to HD in the settings.

   The choice is always yours, but we hope that the material turned out to be useful and informative. Thank you for your attention, we are always glad to see you on the pages of Five-Inches!