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Qualcomm has finally gotten around to giving the Snapdragon 700 series some love. What had been previously rumoured to be the Snapdragon 775G is now the Snapdragon 780G.
This new chipset looks more like a flagship chipset and looks very familiar to some of the specification offered by the flagship chipset from Mediatek Dimensity 1200 this year.
For the sake of this comparison, I have used the main Qualcomm chipsets, not the retweaked options used on a limited number of phones, such as the SD 768G or the new SD860 and SD870.
In fact, the SD780G offers a superior specification to the SD860, so the lines have become very blurred between their upper midrange and flagship 800 series.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G vs 765G vs 750G vs SD888 vs Dimensity 1200 Specifications Compared
| Snapdragon 750G | Snapdragon 765G | Snapdragon 780G | Snapdragon 888 | Dimensity 1200 | |
| Process | Samsung 8 nm | Samsung 7 nm EUV | Samsung 5 nm | 5 nm TSMC | TSMC 6 nm |
| CPU (prime) | – | 1x Kryo 475 (A76) @ 2.8 GHz | 1x Cortex-A78 @ 2.4GHz | 1x ARM Cortex-X1 @ 2.84 GHz | 1x Cortex-A78 @ 3.0 GHz |
| CPU (big) | 2x Kryo 570 (A77) @ 2.2 GHz | 1x Kryo 475 (A76) @ 2.4 GHz | 3x Cortex-A78 @ 2.2GHz | 3x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.42 GHz | 3x Cortex-A78 @ 2.7 GHz |
| CPU (small) | 6x Kryo 570 (A55) @ 1.8 GHz | 6x Kryo 475 (A55) @ 1.8 GHz | 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.9GHz | 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz | 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 620 | Adreno 642 +50% perf over 768G & 768G offered 15%+ over SD765G | Adreno 660 | Mali-G77 MC9 |
| Display | 1080p+ @ 120 Hz | 1080p+ @ 120 Hz | 1080p+ @ 144 Hz | 4K @ 60 Hz, 1080p+ @ 90 Hz | 1080p+ @ 168 Hz |
| ISP | 2 | Dual 14-bit Spectra 355 ISP | Triple 14-bit Spectra 570 ISP | Triple 14-bit Spectra 580 ISP | |
| NPU | 4.7 TOPS | 5.4 TOPS | 12 TOPS | 26 TOPS | |
| 5G modem (downlink) | X52, 3.7 Gbps | X52, 3.7 Gbps | X53, 3.3 Gbps | X60, 7.5 Gbps | 4.7 Gbps (sub-6) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6, 867 Mbps | Wi-Fi 6E, 3.6 Gbps | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 |
CPU & Fabrication Process
The new Snapdragon 780G uses the Samsung 5nm fabrication process, matching the flagship SD888 and smaller than the TSMC 6nm fabrication process on the Dimensity 1200.
Even though the Snapdragon 750G is quite new, that uses a larger 8nm fabrication process.
The SD765G was the last proper chipset Qualcomm launched at the top of the 700 series; I’ll ignore the SD768 because it was the same chipset but with higher clocks on the CPU and GPU.
The SD765G/768G used the ageing Arm Cortex-A76 CPU; the SD780G jumps two generations to the A78 and also switches to a 1x3x4 design. So the CPU performance boost will likely be extremely substantial.
Normally the mid-range chipset lags behind a generation, but the Snapdragon 888 uses the ARM Cortex-X1 for its prime core, and they are feeling the pressure off Mediatek. Instead, it is just the SD750G that has incorporated last years A77 chipset.
The Mediatek Dimensity 1200 does have much higher clocks than the Snapdragon 780G, with its powerful core being clocked 25% higher at 3Ghz. The 3 middles cores also being clocked higher than the Qualcomm prime core while being 22.7% higher than the 3 middles cores.
Interestingly Qualcomm has the small cores clocked higher than any of the other Qualcomm chipsets, including the flagship SD888.
GPU
The GPU is where things get a little more confusing. Qualcomm don’t reveal much with their specs, but the SD780G offers 50% performance boost over the SD768G which itself offered 15% over the SD765G. I am not a mathematician, but in theory, that should be a 90% improvement going from the SD765G to the SD780G
As for the Mediatek, that’s an odd one, it uses the same GPU as the flagship Dimensity 1000 from the previous year, so it seems likely the Qualcomm could out perform it.
ISP
The ISP is also very similar to the SD888; the new SD780G uses a triple Spectra 570 capable of operating three RGB camera sensors concurrently. 192MP captures are possible for single modules (with shutter lag), or in terms of zero shutter lag operation, we can see either 1x 84MP, 64+20MP or 3x 25MP sensor configurations.
Connectivity
There is now a new X53 modem too which offers a similar specification to the Snapdragon X52 on the SD765G but gets rid of the mmWave support
The chipset also has the Qualcomm FastConnect 6900, which offers the new super fast 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E) capabilities.
Overall
With Qualcomm relaunching their older flagship chipsets as the new SD860 and SD870 (with minor tweaks) and now the launch of the SD780G, they are clearly eager to fill in as many gaps as possible, offering buyers every possible level of performance at different prices points.
I feel like this is largely due to Mediatek expanding its market into western territories and upping its game with the flagship chipsets. While they can’t compete with the SD888, the Dimensity 1100 and 1200 are aimed perfectly at the upper mid-range market, which now Qualcomm have introduced three new chipsets too.
Of course, all the specs and numbers mean nothing without price or availability. It will be interesting to see how the new Dimensity chipset based phones price up against the new SD780G.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
