Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC brings ultra-wide screens to mid-range phones

Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 mobile platform delivers significant increases in performance, gaming and display technology over the predecessor Snapdragon 630 SoC

Qualcomm Technologies has announced Snapdragon 636 mobile platform, a beefed-up system on a chip (SoC) designed to provide a more improved device performance, gaming and display technology than the Snapdragon 630 mobile platform.

The mid-tier processor features the Qualcomm Kryo 260 CPU, which the company claims delivers a 40 per cent increase in device performance over the predecessor Snapdragon 630. The processor, mated with Adreno 509 graphic processing unit (GPU), comes with support for modern ultra-wide FHD+ (2160 x 1080 pixel) displays and Assertive Display to optimise the visibility of the display in all lighting conditions.

The Snapdragon 636 mobile platform is built on a 14nm FinFet process, which is pin and software-compatible with the Snapdragon 660 and 630 Mobile Platforms, allowing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) already using these platforms to quickly and efficiently add Snapdragon 636 to their device line-ups.

In terms of connectivity, the new SoC features Snapdragon X12 LTE modem with peak download speeds of 600 Mbps, 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra 160 ISP that supports capture of up to 24 megapixels with zero shutter lag and the Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec for Hi-Fi audio on the go, with up to 192kHz/24bit support and the ability to play back lossless audio files with low distortion and high dynamic range.

The processor’s GPU also supports Qualcomm TruPalette and Qualcomm EcoPix features for a superior viewing experience in mid-tier devices.

The new SoC is aimed at mid-tier devices with 18:9 aspect ratio screens. Qualcomm will ship the SoC to mobile phone manufacturers in November. So, smartphones are expected to soon start using the new SoC.