Qualcomm has announced a spec bump to the Snapdragon 765G in the form of the new Snapdragon 768G. The new chipset will bring CPU and GPU improvements to mid-range phones, and keeps the 5G connectivity you would expect from a chipset in this price range.
While you might assume that the “G” in the name of the chip is a reference to 5G, it actually means that Qualcomm is targeting the chip at gaming phones. It supports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, including 10-bit HDR, updateable Adreno GPU drivers, and more.
According to the company, the chipset’s Adreno 620 GPU improves graphics rendering by 15% compared to the Snapdragon 765G. The chipset also supports 120Hz displays.
“We are uniquely positioned to accelerate 5G commercialization at scale and Snapdragon 768G is an example of how we’re continuing to deliver solutions to address the needs of our OEM customers,” said Kedar Kondap, a Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm, in a press release. “Our expanding portfolio has the potential to make 5G accessible to billions of smartphone users around the world.”
Since launch, the 7-series chipsets haven’t proven as popular as Qualcomm’s 8-series and 6-series. The series sits in a bit of a weird spot, not offering the flagship specs that you would expect in an ultra-premium phone, but also cost more than the mid-range 6-series chips.
That said, there are still a number of devices that have made use of the series, including the upcoming LG Velvet, which will use the now last-generation Snapdragon 765G. Phones tend to use the 7-series when they want to offer flagship-caliber performance at a price below $1,000.
Alongside the launch of the Snapdragon 768G, Redmi has announced the new Redmi K30 5G Racing Edition smartphone, which will be the first commercially-available phone to offer the new chipset. The phone has a 120Hz display, 5G support, and a 64-megapixel camera. It’s likely at least a few other phones that include the new chip will be announced in the coming months, though we’ve yet to hear details from manufacturers.