Qualcomm Inc. late Sunday unveiled the Snapdragon 768G, a new mobile processor that packs built-in 5G connectivity and promises up to 15% better performance than its predecessor.

The processor is an improved iteration of the Snapdragon 765G that debuted in December. That chip was one of the first from Qualcomm to use a built-in 5G modem rather than rely on a separate modem for 5G support, a feature meant to lower manufacturing costs. Qualcomm says the technology can help extend the availability of gigabit-speed wireless connectivity beyond flagship phones to lower-cost handsets.

The introduction of the Snapdragon 768G marks another milestone in the effort to make 5G more accessible. The chip, which targets midrange phones and devices optimized for playing mobile games, is based on the same seven-nanometer Kryo 475 central processing unit as its predecessor. The difference is that Qualcomm has increased the clock rate of the CPU’s primary processing core by 15%, to 2.8 gigahertz. 

The beefed-up Kryo 476 is paired with an Adreno 620 graphics processing unit that handles rendering tasks. According to Qualcomm, the GPU provides up to better 15% graphics performance than the one in the Snapdragon 768G.

Qualcomm has made improvements on the software side as well. The biggest enhancement is the addition of support for Updateable GPU Drivers, a feature that will allow handset makers to deliver GPU firmware updates to customers via popular app stores. This means users with a Snapdragon 768G-powered device should have faster access to future performance improvements from Qualcomm, which plans to release updates for its Adreno GPUs on a quarterly basis.

The chipmaker has also equipped the chip with its Elite Gaming firmware. Elite Gaming provides a set of features that help improve the quality of mobile games by reducing latency, speeding up initial load times and performing other optimizations. 

The Snapdragon 768G joins the Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm’s more powerful flagship mobile chip. Qualcomm was expected to introduce an enhanced version of the Snapdragon 865 sometime this year, but recent reports suggest it may push back the launch to 2021. 

Photo: Qualcomm