Qualcomm very low-key release next generation processor 骁丽 Dragon 820

Recently, on the MWC2015, Qualcomm very low-key release of the next generation of processors 骁丽 Dragon 820, this processor will adopt the new 64-bit custom CPU core. Qualcomm did not disclose details, only to confirm that the new kernel is called Kryo, is a custom chip rather than the existing arm kernel.

Kryo 64-bit core, using 14nmFinFET technology, the second half of 2015 began to produce samples. The Gaotong 820 processor will also be the first system chip to use the new cognitive computing platform Zeroth. If the progress is normal, the mobile phone with 骁丽 820 processor will be listed 6-9 months after the sample appears, it is estimated that in the second half of 2015 will have samples and small-scale production, 2016 years will be listed.

Traditionally, Qualcomm is going to release a new product, especially the core, will be very high-profile, and this Qualcomm unexpectedly did not disclose details and general performance, can not help but a bit surprising, Qualcomm in the avoidance of what?

Well, there's a clue.

The new core of Qualcomm seems abrupt, but it is no stranger to being concerned about the industry's information. In the previous period, Qualcomm issued the road map, referred to a "Taipan" at the core.

According to the roadmap, the processors to be launched by Qualcomm by the end of this year include:

Snapdragon 620, using four Taipan architecture, the largest frequency in 2.0ghz~2.5ghz, with Adreno 418 GPU,LPDDR3, support LTE cat.10;

Snapdragon 815, using big. Little design, Quad core ts1i+ four core TS1 CPU, paired with Adreno 450 GPU,LPDDR4, using 20nm process to support LTE. Cat 10;

Snapdragon 820, using eight TS2 64-bit cores, paired with Adreno 530 GPU,LPDDR4, uses the 14nm FinFET process of Samsung or GF to support LTE cat.10.

We see in the Qualcomm roadmap that the new core is a partial version, ready to be used on a variety of processors. This so-called kryo, in fact, is the previous road map inside the Taipan, 骁丽 Dragon 820 is Taipan inside the high-end version TS2.

Why does Qualcomm keep a low profile

Qualcomm traditionally is not too much to ignore the arm of the public version of the former is their own scorpion core, and then the central snake core. Until the 骁丽 Dragon 805 is a modified version of the Ring snake core. The snake core was developed in early 2012 and is really too old.

According to the normal development progress, Kryo (Taipan) core should be around 2014 years, to the second half of 2015 years before the market time is too late. Why was it postponed?

We remember that in the second half of 2013, Apple released its first "mobile 64-bit core", giving everyone a surprise. Apple's processor is not only a 64-bit problem, but also a stunning architectural specification, with 6 launches being the level of Intel i7, which is naturally more terrifying.

In line with Qualcomm's previous progress, the Kryo is likely to be a new core with a 32-bit performance boost, which will be an era behind Apple.

In the second half of 2014, arm new ARMV8 instruction set and processor also on the show, arm A57 performance is also good, which let Qualcomm into an embarrassing situation.

According to the original plan, Qualcomm new products listed on the lagging behind the competitors generation, face will be difficult to see, and the recycled redesign to be postponed for a long time.

Under the helpless, Qualcomm put down the face, to bite the bullet with the arm public version, this is what we see today 骁丽 Dragon 810 processor.

From the current news, 骁丽 820 of the Kryo core has 8, not the size of the nuclear structure. What does that mean? Description Kryo Core (Taipan high-end version TS2) each one is not too big, can plug into the phone chip.

We need to know that Apple's architecture leads to a huge chip area, the phone CPU can only be stuffed into two cores. ARM's high-end core A57, mobile phone can only plug 4, more high-end A72,MTK can only plug two.

The more powerful the core, the more the area of the transistor occupied, the phone CPU inside will be difficult to plug.

骁丽 820 can plug eight TS2 cores, indicating that the TS2 core takes up too many transistors. is probably just the central snake core of the upgraded version, performance will not be strong, distance from the same time opponents will have a certain gap.

We know that the performance and experience of a mobile phone is mainly about how strong a single core is, and the core is sometimes useful, but in most cases it is the single core performance that determines the experience.

In other words, the experience of the 骁丽 Dragon 820 is probably not as good as 骁丽 Dragon 810, so Qualcomm did not disclose details, low-key avoidance.

This is not the case of the number of large performance, Huawei has just taken out of Kirin 930 is not necessarily more than Kirin 920, 925, 928 good, Huawei is also very low-key.

Opportunities for competitors

Yesterday MTK just released high-end brand Helio, the powerful a72+a53 combination has been handed to the small partners test, the second half of 2015 on energy production.

Samsung relies on its own 14nm technology, the same A57 core 骁丽 Dragon 8,101 Head, the frequency performance of total suppression.

Qualcomm in the second half of 2015 will be challenged, 20nm 骁丽 810 Performance Power consumption is not an advantage, their own 骁丽 Dragon 820 performance I am afraid not, the time to go to the market is to be pushed to 2016, high-end markets will give competitors space.

MTK is likely to start in the second half of 2015 to hit Qualcomm, into the high-end market, to carve out a Qualcomm share.

In the 2015 Qualcomm will remain king by inertia, but research and development to the disadvantage of competitors have opportunities, Qualcomm to be careful.