Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip enhances on-device AI for mid-range phones

Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset for mid-range smartphones. The latest addition to the Snapdragon 7-series brings enhanced native AI processing abilities, including support for the Stable Diffusion 1.5 model for faster image generation. It also delivers notable performance upgrades across the CPU, GPU, and AI Engine (NPU).

Smartphone makers such as China’s Vivo and HONOR have confirmed that they will release devices powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 later this month.

Built on a 4nm process, the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 features a Kryo CPU architecture with one Prime core clocked up to 2.8GHz, four Performance cores up to 2.4GHz, and three Efficiency cores running at up to 1.8GHz. The platform also supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0, UFS 3.1, or UFS 2 storage configurations.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 offers a 27 per cent improvement in CPU performance, a 30 per cent GPU uplift, and a 65 per cent increase in AI processing abilities compared to the previous generation. Along with these performance gains, it introduces several first-in-series features spanning photography, connectivity, and audio. Here are the key highlights:

• AI: The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 brings on-device generative AI support, including rapid image creation using the Stable Diffusion 1.5 model. It is compatible with leading large language models (LLMs) for abilities such as voice assistance, real-time language translation, and content generation.

• Gaming: Gaming performance sees notable upgrades with support for Snapdragon Game Super Resolution to enhance visual fidelity, and Game Quick Touch for ultra-low input latency. The new Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Adaptive Game Configuration dynamically adjust CPU and GPU resources to maintain smooth gameplay while optimising battery life.

• Photography: In a first for the 7-series, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 includes a triple image signal processor (ISP) with hardware-accelerated electronic image stabilisation. It also introduces AI-powered enhancements for auto focus, auto white balance, and auto exposure, helping deliver better image and video quality in varying lighting conditions.

• Audio: The Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite supports lossless music streaming and ultra-low-latency wireless audio, enhancing both media consumption and mobile gaming. The platform also introduces Qualcomm’s XPAN (Expanded Personal Area Network) technology, which enables broader, more stable audio coverage across spaces.

• Connectivity: Equipped with the Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System, the chipset supports peak download speeds of up to 4.2 Gbps and improved network compatibility over its predecessor. It also brings support for next-generation connectivity standards, including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.