Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3: A Small Step Up for Mid-Range Phones
The mid-range smartphone arena just got a little bit more interesting. Qualcomm has quietly released the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 (SM6375), a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) aiming to bring a touch of extra power and features to more affordable devices. Don't expect a revolution, though – think of it as a refined evolution of the existing Snapdragon 695.
Familiar Design, Slight Boost
The Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 is built on a familiar 6nm process, similar to the 695. The core architecture is also largely unchanged:
- 2x Performance Cores: ARM Cortex-A78 (up to 2.3 GHz)
- 6x Efficiency Cores: ARM Cortex-A55 (up to 2.0 GHz)
The key difference? Clock speeds. The 6s Gen 3 pushes those cores a bit further, resulting in a noticeable, though not groundbreaking, performance gain over its predecessor. Early benchmarks, such as those from the Motorola Moto G85 (a likely launch device for this chip), show a small but consistent advantage over phones running the Snapdragon 695.
Features and Connectivity
Here's a quick rundown of what the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 brings to the table:
- Graphics: Adreno 619 GPU
- 5G Modem: Snapdragon X51 (up to 2.5 Gbps down, 0.8 Gbps up), mmWave support
- Wireless: FastConnect 6200 (Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2)
- Camera ISP: Supports up to 3 cameras, 108MP main sensor, HEIC format
Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 Specs at a Glance:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x Cortex-A78 @ up to 2.3 GHz, 6x Cortex-A55 @ up to 2.0 GHz) |
| Process Technology | 6nm |
| GPU | Adreno 619 |
| Memory | LPDDR4x (up to 2133MHz) |
| Storage | UFS 2.2 (2-lane) |
| 5G Modem | Snapdragon X51 (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Camera ISP | Spectra 355L (up to 108MP, triple camera support) |
| Display | Up to FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate |
Should You Care?
If you're looking for a flagship-level experience, the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 isn't it (nor is it trying to be). However, it holds promise for those seeking a good balance of performance, features, and value in a mid-range smartphone. The modest performance gains, coupled with 5G capabilities and a capable camera ISP, make it a solid choice for manufacturers looking to create compelling devices in the increasingly competitive affordable phone segment.
Benchmarks:
Here's a summarized table of the provided benchmarks, comparing the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 to other SoCs:
| Benchmark | Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 695 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6.2 Single-Core | 940 points | - |
| Geekbench 6.2 Multi-Core | 2067 points | 2073 points |
| Geekbench 5 Single-Core | 703 points | 676 points |
| Geekbench 5 Multi-Core | 1917 points | 1904 points |
| Geekbench 4 Single-Core | 3067 points | - |
| Geekbench 4 Multi-Core | 6945 points | - |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 Total Score | 1172 ms | - |
| Octane V2 Total Score | 34162 points | - |
| WebXPRT 4 Score | 95 points | - |
| AnTuTu v9 Total Score | 437830 points | - |
| AnTuTu v9 CPU Score | 126674 points | - |
| PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1 CPU Tests | 5141 points | - |
| PCMark for Android Storage Score | 23090 points | - |
| PCMark for Android Work Score 3.0 | 12367 points | - |
| CrossMark Overall | 619 points | - |
| Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption (150cd) | 4.8 watts | - |
| Idle Power Consumption (150cd) | 1.1 watts | - |
As more devices powered by this chip hit the market, we'll get a clearer picture of its real-world performance. Stay tuned!