Snapdragon 805 vs 801 vs 800 - Qualcomm’s processors

Snapdragon CPUs explained

In a nutshell: The Snapdragon 805 has started to appear in a number of phones. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 packs Qualcomm's flagship processor as does Google's Nexus 6. Interestingly the 805 is still a 32-bit chip which means it won't be able to take full advantage of 64-bit ready Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Here are the basics of this article: The Snapdragon 800 and 801 are essentially the same processor. The 801 is slightly faster in both CPU and GPU and has a better Image Signal Processor (ISP), which helps phone cameras perform better.

The Snapdragon 805 is more of a step up. It is faster than the 801 and has been designed with 4K at the forefront so will be able to support 4K resolution displays on-device, as well as 55-megapixel cameras.

Snapdragon 805 vs 801 vs 800: Introduction

There used to be a very clear naming convention identifying Qualcomm’s Snapdragon system on chip (SoC) processors. It was all about the numbers. The Snapdragon 200 sits at the low end, which can be found in the HTC Desire 500. One step up is the Snapdragon 400, used in the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. And the former flagship was the Snapdragon 600, used in the HTC One. We're now in the 800-series generation.
But Qualcomm's new way of naming its processors is a little confusing. This year we see 800, 801 and 805-powered phones. “We’ve decided to increment each of the new processors numerically within those tiers… The 800 and 801 are essentially the same (Krait 400) processors with speed bumps across the board” explains Mark Shedd, Director of Marketing at Qualcomm.

The first is that the Snapdragon 801 is used by all of this year's most important phones. That means the HTC One M8, The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2. They all use the same Snapdraon 801 processor. Well, virtually the same processor. Just to add another factor into the mix-up, Samsung announced the S5 will come with a 2.5GHz processor while the Xperia Z2 was announced at 2.3GHz.

800 vs 801 vs 805: Specs Comparison

Looking at the specs like-for-like, the 801 isn’t too different from the 800. They both use Krait 400 CPU cores and Adreno 330 GPUs, LTE Cat 4 and the same WLAN chips. There are two versions of the 801 that will be shipped in the next gen of flagships. The 8974-AC is clocked slightly higher than the 8974-AB, hence the disparity in the figures quoted by Samsung and Sony. 

More power is good, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Galaxy S5 will feel any quicker than the Sony Z2 or HTC M8. Certain benchmarks will show the S5 to be the faster phone, however real world use may show that difference is indistinguishable. Indeed other factors, such as Android interface layers, may make more of an impact than clock speeds.

There are slightly larger clock speed differences between the 801 and 800. The 8974-AB that powers the Xperia Z2 can be clocked up to 2.36 GHz, 4.4 per cent faster than the maximum 2.26GHz of the Snapdragon 800. The 8974-AC on the S5, on the other hand, is clocked at 2.45GHz. That is 8.4 per cent faster than the Snapdragon 800 or almost 15 per cent faster than the slowest 800 variant, which runs at 2.15GHz. 

A faster, as-efficient processor is always preferable but these increases are relatively small. Of more interest is the big bump in the Adreno 330 GPU clock speed. It goes from 450MHz to 578MHz – an increase of almost 30 per cent – in the leap from Snapdragon 800 to 801. And the DDR RAM bandwidth increases by almost 17 per cent. 

We see even bigger improvements with the Snapdragon 805, which will be available this summer. It uses more efficient Krait 450 cores, which clock up to  2.7GHz and a brand new Adreno 420 GPU that Qualcomm claims is 40 per cent faster than the 330. Based on this figure we may be able to assume a clock speed of more than 700MHz. However, perhaps the biggest change is the 805’s doubling of memory bandwidth to (up to) 30GB/s a second. 

800 vs 801 vs 805: CPU Comparison

A bump in CPU performance benefits intensive tasks like opening your phone’s photo gallery, not just obvious things like gaming. You might notice that it takes longer and longer for your gallery to open the more photos you have saved with a lower-end phone. 

A fast CPU helps make opening apps, rendering large web pages or opening email attachments that much quicker. Qualcomm's Mark Shedd says the main difference will be noticeable when users “transition between activities and starting new processes. We’re seeing upgrades (to performance) of 15 per cent from the 800 to the 805”. 

The truth is that most of the apps you use on your phone or tablet don’t tax your CPU that much, which means an 8 per cent or 15 per cent increase won’t radically alter the experience other than shaving precious time from those CPU-intensive processes. 

800 vs 801 vs 805: Graphics comparison

A faster GPU means better graphics rendering, of course. Qualcomm claims the 801 is comparable to the PS3 in this respect. "You’ll be able to render the same PS3 game on a Full HD mobile phone,” says Whealton. There aren’t any Android games that are really comparable to a previous-gen console title but that the device has the power to run them means that developers can become more ambitious with their projects.

A faster GPU is also key in enabling devices with the 805 chip to support 4K native resolutions, as well as improving game loading speeds. 

The main difference between the 805 and the 800/801 is that it was built for 4K. Qualcomm explains “the 805 was designed with 4K in mind. It was plumbed all the way through to support 4K including the thermal hit”. The improved thermal management has also led to better energy efficiency, quite how much that will impact the battery life of phones and tablets remains to be seen.  

800 vs 801 vs 805: Camera and image processing comparison

The ISP (Image Signal Processor) is yet another part of Qualcomm’s SoC design. It is tasked specifically with looking after the camera. In very basic terms the ISP helps produce the best image possible from the small lenses and sensors on phones. It does this by controlling white balance, autofocus, HDR, exposure time, colour filter and myriad other smaller functions. 

The faster the ISP the quicker it can conduct pre-processing and post-processing. The ISP on the Snapdragon 801 runs at 465MHz as opposed to 320MHz on the 800. Both support a resolution of up to 21 megapixels but Karl Wheaton explains what that performance improvement offers: “The increased MHz improves the post processing capabilities and increases actual camera imaging support. Consumers can expect to see improvements in the camera and that’s about a 45 per cent increase in the ISP performance. And that’s a dual ISP so you are able to use those ISP for multiple tasks.” 

The additional grunt should provide much faster autofocus and HDR recombining, meaning you can take photos more snappily. Qualcomm also claims it will improve the results of pictures taken in low-light conditions. 

With the 805 Qualcomm has taken the ISP one step further. 

Up to 55 megapixels will be supported, much higher than is currently possible on the 800 and 801 (21MP), although more significant benefits will come from performance improvement. Qualcomm claims that the 805 will have the world’s first mobile 1GPixel/s (Giga-pixel per second) ISP helping users take higher resolution photos with advanced post-processing for improved low-light performance. Phones can fiddle with their camera's output more without slowing down shooting.

Increased resolution support doesn’t mean we’re about to get a raft of 55 megapixel camera phones, though. As Qualcomm’s Karl Wealton explains, “there’s certainly demand for extreme high-megapixel phones, but 21 MP is what we generally support without software but once you get into higher megapixel counts the depth of the lens start to increase and starts to change the design of the phones. Phones become bigger and bulkier. OEMs are pretty sensitive to that design impact because some would prefer a flatter and sleeker design.”

800 vs 801 vs 805: Other things to consider

The Snapdragon 801 comes with a few more tricks up its sleeve. It supports eMMC 5.0, upping the maximum interface speeds for flash memory from 200MB/s, on the Snapdragon 800, to 400MB/s. Whether we will see a performance improvement in the upcoming crop of Android flagships is another matter as they will need to come with speedy flash storage to take advantage of the extra bandwidth boost. And that isn't cheap.

It also comes with hardware enabled DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Active) meaning dual SIM phones can take concurrent calls from both numbers. However, Dual SIM has not really taken off in the UK or US and this feature is primarily aimed at the Chinese market.

While both the 801 and 800 have Cat 4 LTE Modems the 805 comes with the new Cat 6. This doubles the potential speed of 4G from 150Mbps to 300Mbps. Again we’re a little while away from networks supporting these speeds here; the benefits of Cat 6 will be felt by the South Koreans first. 

Finally the 805 comes with hardware-based HEVC (H.265) support, which offers better battery life during video consumption and provides a smaller file size for high-quality video files by using better compression techniques.

800 vs 801 vs 805: Conclusion

The step change between the 800 and 801 isn’t huge. It is more of a slight evolution. The benefits we should see in phones and tablets powered by it will revolve around slightly faster performance for opening apps and multitasking and in high-end 3D gaming. 

The 805 is different. Qualcomm is betting that 4K is the next big thing in mobile and has designed a SoC that can take full advantage. And this is what Qualcomm is aiming at. Those phones which come in late 2014 comes with this advanced features and are capable of 4K video.

Currently Qualcomm is working on 808 & 810. Soon companies will include these processors in their newest models. You can further read about major differences on Qualcomm's Official Website.

15 Tips & Tricks for Android Lollipop Users

So you have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your Nexus. You might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all the changes and new features. We don’t blame you; the Lollipop changelog is longer than some short stories. If you’re a new Lollipop user we’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you get started with Google’s sweetest release.

Screen Pinning

A smartphone is full of personal information and sensitive content. This can make it difficult to let people use your phone without your supervision. “Screen Pinning” is a new feature that lets you lock your phone to one app.

The obvious example for this is when someone asks to use your phone to make a call. You can “pin” the Phone app so the user can’t do anything else. To enable this feature go to Settings > Security > Screen pinning. Then open the app you would like to pin, press the Overview (formerly multitasking) button, scroll up and tap the blue thumb tack icon in the bottom right corner of the most recent app. To unpin an app simply long-press the back and Overview buttons simultaneously.

Customize Notifications

Lollipop gives users control over notifications like never before. Every app installed on your device can be configured to send notifications only when you want to see them. There are three options for each app: block, priority, and sensitive.

Block – Never show notifications from the app.
Priority – Show notifications at the top of the list and let them through when in Priority Mode.
Sensitive – Content is not displayed in the lock screen notification

There are two ways to adjust these settings. You can long-press on any notification and select the (i) icon to go straight to the settings for that app. If you don’t want to wait around for a notification you can go to Settings > Sound & notification > App notifications.

Hide Sensitive Content

Like we mentioned above, you can hide sensitive notification content. With notifications now on the lock screen prying eyes can read them even if you have a password or pattern lock. You can mark apps individually as sensitive, like we talked about above, or you can let Android do it for you.

Go to Settings > Sound & notification > When device is locked. You’ll see three options that boil down to “show all, hide sensitive content, and show none.” Select the second option to hide sensitive content. Now when an app that you’ve marked as “Sensitive” displays a notification on the lock screen you’ll only see the app name and “contents hidden.”

Search for Settings

Android has a lot of settings. That’s a good thing for power users who love to tinker and customize everything. It can be a nightmare for average consumers to navigate. Google has done a lot to make the Settings experience easier, but the best thing they did was add the ability to search.

When you go to the Settings app you’ll see a new magnifying glass search icon in the top right. It appears on most pages within the Settings app. You can use it to find settings without digging in each page. The search results aren’t as robust as we’d like to see, but it does a fair job.

Battery Saver

One of the best new features in Lollipop is battery saver mode. Battery saver can help you squeeze out extra time when you really need it. When enabled it reduces your device’s performance, turns off vibrations, and blocks most background data. Battery saver can be turned on manually or set to automatically kick in when your battery is at 15% or 5%. You’ll know it’s working when the status and nav bars turn orange-red. To set up battery saver go to Settings > Battery > tap the menu button.

Smart Lock

It’s a good idea to have a layer of security on your device. The only problem with using a password or pattern lock is that it ends up slowing you down way more than anyone else. A new feature called “Smart Lock” lets you tell your phone when it’s safe. Right now there are three ways to make your phone trust you.

Trusted devices – Any Bluetooth or NFC device can be added here. When those devices are connected your lock screen security is disabled.

Trusted face – This is Google’s much better implementation of “Face Unlock.” After you scan your face it will look for you every time you unlock your device. If it recognizes you the lock screen security will be disabled.
Trusted places – In this option you’ll see any locations you’ve added to your Google account. You can toggle those on or add a new place manually. When you are in those locations the lock screen security will be disabled.

With these three options you can make it so you don’t have to constantly enter passwords or patterns, but if your device is stolen or left behind it will know to lock others out. These options can be accessed in Settings > Security > Smart Lock.

Choose Who Gets Priority

Earlier we talked about marking apps as “priority.” This puts notifications for those apps at the top of the list, but it also allows those apps to get through when you’re in Priority Mode. You can also choose certain people to get through Priority Mode.

Go to Settings > Sound & notification > Interruptions. Under the section titled “Priority Interruptions” you can choose who gets through Priority Mode. You can choose calls/messages from anyone, starred contacts, or only people in your contacts. This is perfect for those times you don’t want to be bothered, but still want to be reachable.

For those who are unfamiliar, Priority Mode is a way to allow only alarms and specific notifications to bother you. It can be enabled by pressing the volume buttons and choosing PRIORITY.

Do Not Disturb

We’ve already talked about Priority mode notifications, but Lollipop also added a “Do Not Disturb” mode. This is something that the iPhone has had for a long time (even a dedicated physical button), but Android has lacked. Do Not Disturb is like silent mode on steroids.

When you press the volume buttons you’ll see an option for NONE. That’s what we’re calling “Do Not Disturb.” When you’re in this mode you will not be disturbed by anything. Even alarms can’t get through this mode. Like Priority mode you can set it indefinitely or for a few hours at a time.

Quick Flashlight

Finally! The days of having to install 3rd-party flashlight apps are over. Google has added a Flashlight toggle to the Quick Settings. To access the Flashlight toggle you can swipe down from the top of the display with two fingers (or pull down on the notification shade) and tap “Flashlight.” Your LED flash should immediately turn on.

Restore to Previous Android Device

Android’s Setup Wizard has never been an elegant process. You sign into your Google account, opt in or out for a few things and you’re on your way. Sometimes all your previously downloaded apps would begin downloading from Google Play Store, but sometimes they wouldn’t. It’s always been hit or miss, and there was no real way to actually manage what was being restored.

That has all been changed in Lollipop. There is a new option that will allow you to restore to any previous Android device found in your Google account. It will restore all of your settings, wallpaper, and even launcher icon arrangement. Of course it also restores apps, but only the ones you choose. These features are honest-to-goodness game changers. Setting up a new phone will never be the same.

Play Flappy Lollipop

All Android releases come with a special Easter egg in the settings. Usually it’s a simple splash screen with some interactive elements, but this year they included a full Android-themed Flappy Bird clone. Here’s how to get to the game:

1. Go to Settings > About phone/tablet > tap “Android version” 5 times quickly
2. Tap the lollipop a couple of times > long-press > tap once more

Have fun!

Check Data Usage from Quick Settings

The Quick Settings in Lollipop received a much-needed redesign and new toggles. One bit of info that has always been included in Quick Settings is the data connection, but in Lollipop it does more than just show bars.

If you simply tap on the data connection from Quick Settings you can see how much data you’ve used in the last month. You can also see if you have any warnings or limits set up, and tap “More settings” to go to the full Data Usage page in the Android Settings.

Jump to Specific Settings from Quick Settings

We’ll stay in the Quick Settings for this next tip. The new and  improved Quick Settings are full of shortcuts to more settings. If you have an alarm turned on you can tap it to go to the Alarms app. The battery takes you to the full battery setting page. Tapping your little profile photo will show the user accounts you can switch to. Tapping your WiFi network name or “Bluetooth” will take you to their respective settings pages. Last, of course, is the Settings icon.

Create a Guest Mode

If Screen Pinning isn’t enough security for you there is now a built-in “Guest Mode.” It’s enabled by default, and can be accessed through Settings > Users, or the shortcut we mentioned in the previous tip. When you tap “Guest” it will take you to a fresh instance of Android with only stock apps installed.

In Guest Mode a user can’t access your apps or information. It’s as if you handed them a brand new phone with no personal information entered. If you don’t want guests to be making phone calls you can restrict that by tapping the gear icon from the Users page. On tablets you can even create “restricted” account so other users can do even less.

See How Long Until Charged

Our last tip is super simple. Have you ever wondered how long it will take for your phone to be fully charged? Well, now Android can tell you. When your device is charging the hours and minutes until fully charged are displayed at the bottom of the lock screen.

Source: Phandroid & Drippler