Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Brings AI to Even More Phones

(Credit: Qualcomm)

Affordable phones are about to get a big boost in power. Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, an update to its lineup of midrange mobile chips.

At its most basic level, the company claims the 6 Gen 4's CPU performs 11% faster, the GPU performs 29% faster, and the power savings totals 12% when compared with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. Those moderate power bumps mean your average everyday phone will be able to run some generative AI on-device, rather than having to rely on the cloud.

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4's specs are similar to other chips in Qualcomm’s arsenal. Based on a 4nm architecture, the new Kyro CPU features one prime core at up to 2.3GHz, three performance cores at up to 2.2GHz, and four efficiency cores at up to 1.8GHz. It’s packaged with an Adreno GPU, as well as Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU for improved AI performance. The NPU includes support for Qualcomm's Sensing Hub and has dedicated cores for audio and other sensors.

The embedded modem supports both ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology, as well as the sub-6GHz 5G (including C-band). Like the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 before it, the new model supports Wi-Fi 6E, but will now come with improved Bluetooth 5.4 LE connectivity, up from Bluetooth 5.2 found on last year’s chip.

The 6 Gen 4 also supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM at up to 3200MHz, a full HD display with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, the ability to record 4K video in HDR at up to 30fps, and rapid top-ups via the QuickCharge 4+ system.

Like Qualcomm's other chips, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 allows for photo capture of up to 200MP, with support for single camera at up to 64MP photos with zero shutter lag, up from 48MP on the previous chips. The Qualcomm Image Signal Processor also has a triple 12-bit ISPs. Audio support includes Snapdragon Sound with aptX Voice, aptX Lossless, and aptX Adaptive, as well as a good list of Bluetooth codecs.

Other specs include support for USB-C (version 3.1), UFS 3.1 storage, tri-band GPS, and premium security tools. This means midrange phones will see a wide range of new and improved features.

Qualcomm expects the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 system-on-a-chip to be featured in products from Honor and Oppo in the coming months.

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Sarah Lord

Mobile Writer

My Experience

I’m a mobile writer at PCMag, which means I cover wireless phones, plans, tablets, ereaders, and a whole lot more. I’ve written countless reviews and have appeared in numerous videos discussing the latest technology. I’ve always loved it and have been forming opinions on consumer electronics since childhood. Prior to joining PCMag, I covered TVs and home entertainment at CNET, served as the tech and electronics reviews fellow at Insider, and began my career by writing laptop reviews as an intern at Tom's Hardware. I am also a professional actor with credits in film, television, and theater, and membership in both SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association.

The Technology I Use

I’ve been an Apple fan for a long time. I use an iPhone 14 Pro, and I don’t plan to upgrade any time soon. I like to hold on to my phones for a few years. Maybe I'll upgrade if Apple sells a flip phone.

I use two different Apple computers in my daily life. I recently bought a maxed-out 15-inch MacBook Air for work and other activities. Despite my brand-new computer, I can’t quit using my 2012 MacBook Pro. It still works flawlessly and houses my large collection of ebooks. When traveling, I often use my 10.5-inch iPad Pro and Logitech keyboard case for streaming television and light internet use.

But my favorite piece of tech is my Kindle Paperwhite. I use it every day and it comes with me wherever I go. I read both physical and digital books, but the Paperwhite is currently my favorite ereader.

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