Qualcomm has just launched a new smartphone SoC – the Snapdragon 678. The fresh Qualcomm SoC succeeds the well-received Snapdragon 675 chip, and brings a small boost in processing power via a higher clock speed. The latest Qualcomm processor is targeted at lower mid-range smartphones but doesn’t offer many meaningful upgrades over its predecessor. With the exception of a slightly faster clock speed (2.2 GHz vs 2.0 GHz), not much has changed, as the rest of the core capabilities are almost the same.

The octa-core Snapdragon 678 relies on the Qualcomm Kryo 460 CPU, while graphics are handled by the Adreno 612 GPU. It is based on the 11nm process, the same as its predecessor. As for imaging capabilities, they are handled by the Qualcomm Spectra 250L ISP that supports up to 192MP capture and dual cameras up to 16MP. When it comes to videography, it allows 4K video capture while slo-mo video recording is capped at 1080p with 120FPS frame rate and 720p at 240FPS frame rate. Video playback, on the other hand, is also capped at 4K Ultra HD. 

Small upgrades, big aspirations

Coming to smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 678 SoC, they can pack a display with a peak resolution of FHD+ (2520×1080), however, Qualcomm has not specified the refresh rate limit in the specifications sheet. Wireless connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac, while the cellular connectivity is limited to 4G and is enabled by the Snapdragon X12 LTE modem. 

For audio output, the Snapdragon 678 offers capabilities that include Qualcomm Aqstic, Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus, Qualcomm Adaptive, and Qualcomm aptX HD. As for fast charging, Qualcomm’s proprietary Quick Charge 4+ technology handles the duty of juicing up the battery. Unfortunately, Qualcomm has not yet revealed the names of brands that will employ its latest chipset in their upcoming mid-range smartphones.