Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 launched just last fall as a budget mid-range mobile SoC. Now, only a few months later, the company has introduced its successor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 platform. This new chip, manufactured on TSMC’s 4 nm node, brings on-device AI capabilities and notable gaming performance improvements over the previous generation.
On-Device AI Arrives in Affordable Android Phones
For the first time in this chipset series, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chip features an onboard NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with INT4 support. This enables on-device AI processes, such as text and image generation and AI-powered noise cancellation—features previously limited to premium mid-range and flagship devices.
Gaming also sees a major upgrade. Qualcomm claims the new, yet-unnamed Adreno GPU delivers 29 percent better performance than the Adreno 710 in the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. However, the Adreno 710 itself was already 30 percent faster than its predecessor, making the overall jump in performance substantial.
The chipset also supports Game Super Resolution for visual upscaling and enhanced HDR gaming. On the display side, it can drive FHD+ resolutions at up to 144 Hz with HDR10+ support.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 is the first to use ARMv9 architecture and features a prime Cortex-A720 core at 2.3 GHz, two Cortex-A720 cores at 2.2 GHz, and four Cortex-A520 cores at 1.8 GHz.
According to Qualcomm, this configuration offers an 11 percent performance boost over its predecessor. While the improvement seems minor, the new 4 nm process makes the chipset 12 percent more power-efficient.
Elsewhere, the triple ISP supports single-camera resolutions up to 200 MP, 10-bit HEIF, and Snapdragon Low Light Vision for better imaging. Connectivity options include Bluetooth LE Audio, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6E, and 5G with mmWave and sub-6 GHz support.
Which Phones Will Get the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4?
Qualcomm has confirmed that Realme, Oppo, and Honor are among the brands expected to launch smartphones powered by the new chipset. However, no specific models or release dates have been announced yet.
One possible contender is Sony’s Xperia 10 VII, the rumored successor to the Xperia 10 VI, which currently runs the older Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. However, there’s a chance it could be powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 that already powers the likes of Motorola Moto G75.
