All of Qualcomm’s processors are based on the global deployment of 5G. The mid-range, 5G-capable Snapdragon 765 chipset, which debuted at the same time as the flagship Snapdragon 865, solidified Qualcomm’s commitment to this network technology. With the introduction of the Snapdragon 690 5G mobile platform today, Qualcomm has made yet another important move toward accelerating 5G adoption throughout the world.
There is currently some uncertainty around the release of phones equipped with Qualcomm’s mid-range 5G chipsets in India due to the absence of operational 5G networks in that nation. However, we believed it would be wise to compare the brand-new Snapdragon 690 5G to its more senior sister, the Snapdragon 765 5G, on paper. We’ll compare the features of the Snapdragon 690 5G and Snapdragon 765 5G in detail.
Snapdragon 690 5G vs Snapdragon 765 5G: How Do They Compare on Paper?
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CPU
A new Kryo 560 CPU powers the octa-core Snapdragon 690 5G chipset. The new Cortex-A77 cores and Kryo 500-series branding are used in this, Qualcomm’s second chipset in its lineup. Six Cortex-A56 cores are clocked at 1.7GHz, while two Cortex-A77 cores are clocked at 2.0GHz.
The Qualcomm Kryo 475 CPU in the Snapdragon 765, on the other hand, has an octa-core clock speed of up to 2.4GHz. A 2.4GHz prime Cortex-A76 core, a 2.2GHz gold Cortex-A76 core, and six 1.8GHz silver Cortex-A55 cores make up this processor.
The fact that the Snapdragon 690 is based on an 8nm process technology and the Snapdragon 765 is based on a 7nm EuV process technology is another significant distinction between the two chipsets. This indicates that compared to the 6-series 5G chipset, the 7-series 5G chipset is more power-efficient.
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GPU
One of the numerous factors shoppers today take into account before making a purchase is mobile gaming, and both the Snapdragon 690 and Snapdragon 765 should deliver quite good gaming performance.
The Adreno 620 GPU is found on the Snapdragon 765, whilst the Adreno 619L GPU is found on the Snapdragon 690 chipset. In comparison to its predecessor, the Adreno 612 GPU present on the Snapdragon 675, Qualcomm claims that you will experience up to 60% quicker graphics rendering. This GPU is inferior to the Snapdragon 730G’s Adreno 618 GPU and the Snapdragon 765’s Adreno 620 GPU, although it should still provide some modest performance improvements.
At the time this post was published, we were unable to determine the precise clock speed of the Adreno 619L GPU, but we will let you know as soon as we do.
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5G Modem
Although 5G technology unites these two chipsets, there is a significant distinction between them. The Snapdragon X51 modem is included in the Snapdragon 690, whereas the Snapdragon X52 modem is included in the Snapdragon 765.
While the Snapdragon 690 only supports sub-6GHz 5G networks, the Snapdragon 765 supports both high-frequency and sub-6GHz mmWave networks. This means that mid-range 5G handsets powered by the latter won’t support the fast mmWave networks of Verizon and AT&T.
This is also the reason why the Snapdragon 690’s download and upload speeds are restricted to 2.5Gbps and 660Mbps, respectively. The Snapdragon 765 chipset offers download and upload speeds of up to 3.7 and 1.6 gigabits per second, respectively. All other features, such as support for both standard (SA) and non-standard (NSA) networks, remain the same.
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ISP (Image Signal Processor)
The ISP included with the Snapdragon 690 and Snapdragon 765 chipsets is essentially the same. The latter has the Spectra 355 ISP, while the former has the Spectra 355L ISP, which is a lighter variant of the aforementioned ISP. It is a dual 14-bit ISP that allows portrait video, 192MP photo capture, and up to 4K HDR video recording (another first for the Snapdragon 6-series).
The only distinction I can discern between the two chipsets’ data sheets is that the Snapdragon 690 5G supports 720p @ 240FPS Slow-mo video capture. Up to 720p @ 480FPS of slow-motion video can be captured by the Snapdragon 765 5G SoC. Additionally, it supports HDR10+ video capture and has AI capabilities including real-time object segmentation and replacement.
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Display
In order for you to know the greatest resolution and refresh rates that any chipset supports, we chose to add the display part in this section. I’ll try to keep it brief, though.
Displays with Full-HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate are supported by the Snapdragon 690 5G. On the other hand, its older sister supports Full-HD+ displays at up to 120Hz and QHD+ displays at 60Hz. As a result, phone manufacturers have the option to include a device with an even better resolution in their mid-range models.
Snapdragon 690 is the first-ever Snapdragon 6-series mobile platform to support up to 120Hz display.
In addition, both 5G-enabled chipsets offer HDR10+ and 10-bit colour depth, according to the official data sheet. In the end, providing the consumers with the aforementioned functionality is up to the phone manufacturers.
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AI Engine
In terms of AI, Qualcomm has advanced significantly over time. The company’s first mid-range 5G chipset featured a 5th-Gen Qualcomm AI Engine with performance of up to 5.5 TOPS. The Snapdragon 690 5G chipset introduces the 5th-Gen Qualcomm AI Engine, giving it even another first.
The Hexagon 692 DSP seen on the Snapdragon 730G from last year is also present in the Snapdragon 690. This indicates that we may anticipate generally good AI performance, although the Hexagon 696 running on the Snapdragon 765 will give you somewhat better AI performance overall.
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Connectivity
With the exception of the 5G modems that we have already highlighted, the connectivity choices offered by the Snapdragon 690 and Snapdragon 765 are nearly identical.
Both chipsets enable dual-band WiFi out of the box and are ready for WiFi 6 and 802.11ax. In terms of Bluetooth connectivity, there is a slight difference between the newer Snapdragon 690 and Snapdragon 765. The latter supports Bluetooth 5.0, while the former supports Bluetooth 5.1.
Snapdragon 690 5G vs Snapdragon 765 5G: Specs Sheet
| Snapdragon 690 | Snapdragon 765 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Core | octa-core, Kryo 560 | octa-core, Kryo 475 |
| CPU Architecture | 2x 2.0GHz (Cortex-A77) 6x 1.7GHz (Cortex-A56) |
1x 2.4GHz (Cortex-A76) 1x 2.2GHz (Cortex-A76) 6x 1.8GHz (Cortex-A55) |
| CPU Clock Speed | up to 2.0GHz | up to 2.4GHz |
| Process Technology | 8nm | 7nm EUV |
| GPU | Adreno 619L | Adreno 620 |
| RAM | Up to 8GB 1866 MHz LPDDR4x RAM | Up to 12GB 2133 MHz LPDDR4x RAM |
| 5G Modem | Snapdragon X51 | Snapdragon X52 |
| Machine Learning & AI | Hexagon 692 | Hexagon 696 |
| ISP | Dual 14-bit Spectra 355L | Dual 14-bit Spectra 355 |
| Camera Capability | Up to 192 MP photo capture, Up to 32+16 MP dual camera |
Up to 192 MP photo capture, Up to 22 MP dual camera |
| Video Capability | Up to 4K HDR video capture @ 30FPS, 720p @ 240FPS slow-mo videos |
Up to 4K HDR+ video capture @ 30FPS, 720p @ 480FPS slow-mo videos |
| Fast Charging | Quick Charge 4+ | Quick Charge 4+ |
| Connectivity | WiFi 6-ready, Bluetooth 5.1 |
WiFi 6-ready, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| NavIC Support | Yes | Yes |
Snapdragon 690 5G vs Snapdragon 765 5G: The Rise of Affordable 5G Phones
With the Snapdragon 765 SoC released earlier this year, Qualcomm enabled phone manufacturers to produce 5G phones for under Rs. 30,000. Since then, it has upgraded this chipset with the introduction of the Snapdragon 768. Now, though, the American chipmaker has made the decision to make 5G technology widely accessible and affordable to all customers worldwide by releasing the first-ever Snapdragon 6-series chipset that supports 5G.
Anyone interested in trying out the high-speed network will find phones with 5G capabilities to be rather affordable thanks to Qualcomm Snapdragon 690. It follows closely following its 5G-supported older sibling and ought to offer excellent performance, AI capabilities, and camera functions. In the next months, we can’t wait to lay our hands on the first smartphone with a Snapdragon 690 SoC.
