Qualcomm is a leading manufacturer of smartphone processors. The Snapdragon range has literally set the pace for years. We'll show you three cutting-edge cell phones that have stormed our list of the best with the help of Snapdragon 865 power chips - and even set standards in one discipline or another.
Latest generation mobile chip
Hardly any other computer component has developed as rapidly as the processor: Over time, ever more powerful and ever more computing cores have been packed onto ever smaller circuit boards, which catapult the performance into new spheres. In the case of smartphones, this centerpiece has now shrunk to the size of a fingernail, which means that they are still significantly more powerful than some notebooks.
However, the chip not only houses the actual central processing unit (CPU), but also other processors to relieve the CPU, such as the digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processor (graphics processing unit), an image processor for processing the camera signals and a modem for the connectivity (from Bluetooth to WLAN to 4G / 5G). The core element of today's cell phones is therefore a whole system, which is why technicians also speak of a "SoC" - system on a chip.
Snapdragon 865 with strong performance
The current top SoC from Qualcomm is available in two versions, each using eight processing cores . The Snapdragon 865 has a maximum clock frequency of 2.84 GHz, while the tuned Snapdragon 865 Plus clocks up to 3.1 GHz and also has a higher GPU performance. This is particularly beneficial for gamers who play performance-hungry games on their smartphones.
In addition, the Qualcomm FastConnect ™ 6900 radio module installed in the Plus version supports Bluetooth 5.2 as well as the Wi-Fi 6 extension "Wi-Fi 6E" for download rates of up to 3.6 Gbit / s in the 6 GHz band. The X55 RF modem for the new 5G cellular standard is identical in both SoC models. You can find out more about the connectivity of the latest and at the same time most powerful Snapdragon processors in a separate article . What else the Snapdragon 865 can do in practice is shown using the following three top smartphones from our list of the best - mind you: They are all represented in the top ten . The devices come from different manufacturers, but the same chip system works inside.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G: The front runner
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is available in six colors: Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Red, Cloud Orange and Cloud White.
Samsung's popular Galaxy S20 family recently had a surprising offspring: The youngest offspring bears the suffix " FE " (aka " Fan Edition ") and was developed on the basis of user wishes and their requirements. The result is a particularly powerful smartphone, which in the case of the 5G-capable model is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 .
The eight-core processor has a clock rate of up to 2.84 GHz, supported by six GB of RAM. But it is not just the performance that is convincing, the efficiency is also convincing: in the 60 Hertz continuous operation in the CHIP test, the 4,500 mAh battery only stopped working after 14 hours and 35 minutes. Not least because of this, the Fan Edition stormed to number one on the CHIP best list .
Even with game and video sessions in 120 Hertz mode , which usually requires significantly more energy, the runtime in the test is over twelve hours. In addition to the high refresh rate, the 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display scores points with its first-class luminosity and color brilliance, but it does without rounded edges. The front camera is in a small hole at the top of the picture. On the back, Samsung installed a triple camera - consisting of a wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle camera with twelve megapixels each and a telephoto lens with an 8-megapixel sensor. BUY SAMSUNG GALAXY S20 FE
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
See Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G with Snapdragon 865, 6 GB RAM and 128 GB at Saturn.TO THE SHOP OnePlus 8 Pro: high-end for your pocket
The OnePlus 8 Pro is one of the best smartphones on the market. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865.
At first, OnePlus was still considered an underdog among smartphone manufacturers, but has long since outgrown this image. The OnePlus 8 Pro , which was presented in spring, plays - like its predecessors OnePlus 7 Pro and 7T Pro - in the professional league without a doubt, which the flagship impressively demonstrated in the CHIP test . It currently ranks fifth in the list of the best.
Above all, the immensely bright, brilliantly colored OLED display leaves a lasting impression. The 3,168 x 1,440 pixels (QHD resolution) seem to flow thanks to the 120 instead of the usual 60 Hertz refresh rate on the huge 6.8-inch panel - not only in animations or videos, but also during operation. A Snapdragon 865 provides the necessary computing power, with eight or twelve GB of RAM depending on the model.
This makes the OnePlus 8 Pro perfect for multimedia fans who often watch series and films on their smartphones or run other image-heavy applications. Graphically high-quality games are also shown to their best advantage. The battery lasts a good nine to eleven hours. You won't find a microSD slot, but the top version of the device has 256 GB of storage space.
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OnePlus 8 Pro 256 GB (5G)
See the OnePlus 8 Pro with Snapdragon 865, 12 GB RAM and 256 GB at Galaxus.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro: camera in a class of its own
In the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, the Snapdragon 865 and the 108 megapixel camera take professional-level photos and videos. Similar to OnePlus, Xiaomi's smartphones were also considered absolute insider tips among Android fans until recently. The good reputation of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer extended far beyond its own national borders and has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years. For around a year now, the coveted Xiaomi products have also been officially available through German sales channels.
With this year's flagship Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro , the manufacturer was able to convince our test editorial team. Its many advantages catapulted the device to an excellent ninth place in our list of the best . It offers a bright, 6.7-inch OLED display with 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and a frame rate of 90 Hertz. This means that media content and apps are displayed particularly smoothly. Behind it, the high-end Snapdragon 865 processor works in conjunction with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. These components ensure excellent performance and perform even demanding tasks without stalling.
A literal highlight is the mighty 108 megapixel quad camera module on the back. In the CHIP test, this not only impresses with its impressive photo quality: As one of the first smartphones, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro can also produce video recordings in professional quality with 8K resolution and up to 30 frames per second. Camera enthusiasts - and those who want to become one - could find a new everyday companion with uncompromising Snapdragon performance in the Mi 10 Pro.