Was the Snapdragon 765G the right processor choice?

Can medium-sized smartphones become the new flagships? Google seems to believe this with the new Pixel 5. The handset offers brand new hardware and software at the same time and removes some old design ideas for a more attractive price point.

Perhaps the biggest omission is the lack of a premium processor for cutting edge performance. Instead of this year’s Snapdragon 865 or 865 Plus, Google has opted for the Snapdragon 765G from Qualcomm. It forms the “super-mid-tier” of Qualcomm’s mobile chipset portfolio, pushing the boundaries of mid-tier performance and bringing out some of the key features of its premium chipsets.

But why would Google make that performance tradeoff on its 2020 flagship smartphone? Let’s explore the possibilities.

Continue reading: Snapdragon 765G vs Snapdragon 865: How will the Pixel 5 stack up?

5G without breaking the bank

Google’s Pixel 4 dodged the early 5G hype train of 2019. Still, the company couldn’t bring a flagship to market in 2020 without the latest and greatest in networking technology. The media would have eaten it alive. Unfortunately, the move to 5G has pushed the smartphone bill of materials up and is partly responsible for our exceeding the $ 1,000 price limit.

Various brands have spoken about the 5G premium to explain price increases this year. Xiaomi’s Lei Jun said moving to this year’s premium 5G Snapdragon setup doubled processor costs and added $ 70 more to the bill of materials than previous 4G flagships. That’s a relatively hard part, and part of the bill has inevitably passed on to consumers. In a press conference on the new Reno 4 series recently, Oppo noted that 5G can increase costs by up to 20% and also uses the Snapdragon 765G.

See also: The best Google products

Bottom line: 5G is expensive and Google has already tried its luck with the $ 899 Pixel 4 XL.

5G requires more components, especially for flagship products with mmWave technology. Part of the problem is that the flagship Snapdragon 865 doesn’t have a built-in modem, so manufacturers will have to buy a 5G X55 modem as well. They are not cheap. If you add the additional antenna and power components, the bill further increases (hence the slightly higher value for the US Pixel 5 with mmWave support).

How many $ 1,000 pixels would Google realistically sell?

The Snapdragon 765G works around this problem with a built-in modem built into the same chip as the CPU, GPU and other parts. That also saves cost, space, and power, with a small tradeoff for some 5G top speeds and capabilities. However, it isn’t anything that affects the user experience at this early stage in the 5G deployment.

In summary, Google only had two options with the Pixel 5. Slide your luck with prices even higher than in previous years, which, given the weak Pixel 4 sales, would almost certainly fail. Or build on its success with the affordable Pixel 3a and take the cheaper 5G route with the Snapdragon 765G.

“Good enough” performance, great features

Of course, there are other chipsets available if you’re looking for something cheaper. However, the Snapdragon 765G is characterized by a number of important features that come from the Snapdragon 800 series. This includes support for the Pixel 5’s 90Hz refresh rate FHD + display, fast loading, HDR gaming, 4K 60fps video recording, and 5G networking with mmWave.

For example, Google is very enthusiastic about machine learning and uses it for example for its world-class image processing and Google Assistant. The Snapdragon 765G features Qualcomm’s high-end image processing signal processor (CV-ISP) for demanding image processing tasks with high performance and low power consumption. A function that was previously reserved for the 800 series. The chip’s hexagon DSP is a dedicated processor for language and other machine-learning tasks. It doesn’t run quite as fast as the Snapdragon 865, but the feature support is there.

Given that the Pixel 5 doesn’t include Google’s internal Pixel Neural Core, the 765G can be expected to deliver the performance Google needs to run Night Mode, HDR +, Super Res Zoom, and various voice functions.

Some of the best software features don’t need the fastest processor.

This underscores the crucial point – – You don’t need cutting-edge performance to create a high-end experience. Smartphone chips are about to reduce the return on daily performance. Apps haven’t felt sluggish in years, with the exception of very cheap budget products. While the Snapdragon 765G is definitely not the fastest chip in benchmarks, it hits a sweet spot between performance and price. It has just enough performance for most apps, typical game sessions, and improved AI and photo algorithms.

Why pay more for a high-performance chipset that you are barely taking advantage of?

Better battery life?

If all of that isn’t reason enough, perhaps Google was simply trying to fix one of the Pixel series’ biggest bugs – – Battery life. The Pixel 5 has a new Extreme Battery Saver mode, so Google clearly had this in mind.

With two less power-hungry CPU cores and less silicon area for graphics, the Snapdragon 765G soaks up less juice than its 800-series siblings for most tasks. While this comes at the expense of peak performance, and the energy savings won’t be day and night, as faster chips finish and sleep faster. The integrated 5G modem, however, ensures more efficient networking.

More comments: Google Pixel 4a second opinion: buyer’s remorse

The chip is still made with 7nm FinFET processing like the Snapdragon 865, so it offers the same benefits in terms of energy efficiency and areal density. Combined with a larger 4,080 mAh battery, we’re finally looking at a Pixel flagship that’s supposed to last all day.

The handset is also likely to run cooler than its predecessor, which means that peak performance can be sustained for longer periods of time if necessary, e.g. B. when playing. Not to mention that heat is a battery killer in the long run. Previous flagship Pixel had problems with performance consistency and were never the fastest. In a smaller, compact package, optimizing heat is a good factor in performance and battery life.

Is the Snapdragon 765G the right call for the Pixel 5?

The Google Pixel 5 remains an odd entry in the Pixel series. On the one hand, it retains flagship features like IP68 rating and wireless charging while lowering the performance of both the Solos and the flagship at a cheaper price. Not everyone will like this, but given higher costs and an already bad reputation for battery life, Google had to make a decision.

Choosing a Snapdragon 765G over an 865 is all about balance. For the Pixel 5, the 765G seems to offer a better compromise between performance, features, and cost than a more powerful and expensive chip. It has everything Google needs to achieve its goals: powerful AI software, longer battery life, and a lower price point than other 5G flagship phones.

The Snapdragon 765G is an excellent match for the Pixel 5.

Of course, these goals aren’t the same for every manufacturer, and there’s definitely still a place for the Snapdragon 800 series in smartphones. It’s still the chip for high-end performance, the most future-proof 5G features, and for mobile gaming enthusiasts. Just be ready to pay more for the privilege.

Overall, the Snapdragon 765G fixes a lot of the Pixel’s previous problems, so it’s a great fit for the Pixel 5. Don’t think?