Qualcomm Details the Snapdragon 801 CPU Inside Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2

Last week, mobile phone makers around the world gathered in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress to unveil their latest devices, and Samsung and Sony were among them, both launching new flagship smartphones running under Google’s Android operating system.

Sony announced its new Xperia Z2 smartphone at the event, which comes with a 5.2-inch screen and a 20-megapixel camera on the back, while Samsung announced the Galaxy S5, which features a 5.1-inch screen and a 16-megapixel camera. The two handsets are very different, but both have in common some elements, including the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, high-end features, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 processor inside. However, although both smartphones are powered by the same CPU from the leading chip maker, there are some differences between them, and Qualcomm took its time to offer some clarification on the matter. For starters, we should note that Samsung went for the MSM8974AC chip for its new flagship, while Sony chose the MSM8974AB processor for its device. According to Qualcomm, the two variations were initially included in the Snapdragon 800 family of chipsets, which resulted in some confusion when both Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 were announced.

However, the processors inside these phones actually pack features and capabilities that make them stand above the Snapdragon 800 series, and “Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 are among the first smartphones to be able to take advantage of this upgrade,” as Qualcomm notes in a blog post. The new Snapdragon 801 chipset was designed to provide users with “even more compelling mobile user experiences than its predecessor,” the company also notes. Among these enhancements, we can count a 14 percent faster CPU, paired with a 28 percent faster GPU, and a 45 percent faster camera sensor. The memory in Snapdragon 801 is also said to be 17 percent faster compared to the predecessor.

“The Snapdragon 801 processor has already been called ‘2014’s must-have mobile chipset,’ so be sure to stay tuned to see what other great smartphones and tablets will be powered by this new addition to our processor family,” Qualcomm also notes. Starting with this month, users around the world will be able to purchase the new Xperia Z2 smartphone from Sony, and they should get the chance to buy the Samsung Galaxy S5 too starting with the next month. Before the end of this year, we should see some more mobile devices being pushed to the market with the new CPU inside, that’s for sure. After all, other vendors will also want to impress users with the performance capabilities of their new phones.

Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2
Image credits to Qualcomm

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