If you’re spending time poring over Android cellphone spec sheets when deciding which cellphone to purchase, then there are principally two processors to search for: the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon chip—proper now, that may be the Snapdragon 865 or barely sooner 865 Plus—and every little thing else. Smartphone processors transfer so quick that even the earlier flagship processor’s speeds are outdated information.
That’s modified this 12 months. Along with the high-end Snapdragon 865 that powers flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy S20 and the Snapdragon 865 Plus for even higher-end gaming phones, Qualcomm can be promoting the Snapdragon 765 and 765G chips, which raises the center tier considerably. While mid-range telephones have usually run Snapdragon 6 and 7 Series chips, the 765 is a unique animal.
The LG Velvet 5G appears like a premium cellphone on the surface however isn’t powered by the most recent Qualcomm silicon.
For one, it has an built-in 5G modem. For one other, it’s considerably cheaper than the 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865, so 765-based telephones gained’t value wherever close to 4 figures. In truth, the primary Sanpdragon 765G cellphone to launch within the U.S. is the LG Velvet and it costs $599, significantly lower than the crop of 5G telephones from Samsung and Oneplus that launched earlier within the 12 months.
But how does it measure as much as these telephones? I not too long ago received my fingers on the LG Velvet and ran it by a battery of checks and got here away very impressed. While it’s nonetheless bested by the Snapdragon 865, correctly, the hole isn’t almost as vast because the earlier mid-range processor, and it may make a cellphone just like the Pixel 3a really feel remarkably quick. Let’s dive in.
First, let’s set a baseline. The predecessor to the Snapdragon 765G is the 730, with a 2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Octa-core CPU. It’s a unique type of chip for a less expensive class of cellphone (largely as a result of it doesn’t have 5G), nevertheless it’s roughly much like the 765’s 2.3 GHz Kryo 475 CPU. I don’t personal a cellphone that makes use of this chip, however a smattering of checks on NotebookCheck offers a good suggestion of what to anticipate:
Snapdragon 730
- Geekbench 5 Single: 542
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 1647
- Speedometer 2.0: 32.8
- PCMark Work 2.0: 7494
To begin my testing, I turned to the LG V60 with a Snapdragon 865 processor to maintain it within the household in addition to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which has the identical chip however far more RAM (8GB vs 12GB). All telephones have been up to date and restarted, and I ran the identical checks as above: Geekbench 5’s CPU checks, PCMark’s Work 2.0 Performance checks, and Browserbench’s Speedometer 2.0 check (over Chrome), which measures the responsiveness of Web functions.
LG V60
- Geekbench 5 Single: 907
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 3332
- PCMark Work 2.0: 10432
- Speedometer 2.0: 74.1
Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Geekbench 5 Single: 893
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 3156
- PCMark Work 2.0: 12350
- Speedometer 2.0: 67.2
Those are actually actually good scores, as you must count on from telephones that value this a lot. Even although the V60 is considerably cheaper than the S20 Ultra ($950 vs $1,400), the Snapdragon 865 chip inside each of them performs higher than most Android telephones you should purchase at any worth.
The Asus ROG Phone 3 has a lot energy, it comes with a clip-on fan to maintain it cool.
Next up is the Asus ROG Phone 3, which is the most recent decked-out gaming cellphone with the entire efficiency bells and whistles, together with a barely sooner Snapdragon 856 Plus processor. I had oddly low outcomes from Speedometer 2.0 with this cellphone so I’m not together with them, however total, the 865 Plus is as marketed: somewhat sooner than the usual 865. Asus additionally has a battery-sucking efficiency mode that cranks the chip even increased:
Asus ROG Phone 3
- Geekbench 5 Single (Regular): 974
- Geekbench 5 Single (X Mode): 983
- Geekbench 5 Multi (Regular): 3321
- Geekbench 5 Multi (X Mode): 3192
- PCMark Work 2.0 (Regular): 12415
- PCMark Work 2.0 (X Mode): 14538
Finally, I grabbed two of final 12 months’s flagships, the Galaxy S10+ and Pixel 4 XL to check the older Snapdragon 855.
Pixel 4 XL
- Geekbench 5 Single: 635
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 2529
- PCMark Work 2.0: 10717
- Speedometer 2.0: 26.7
Galaxy S10+
- Geekbench 5 Single: 741
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 2712
- PCMark Work 2.0: 9616
- Speedometer 2.0: 26.8
To spherical issues out, I ran the Galaxy S9 with the Snapdragon 845 by the identical checks:
Galaxy S9
- Geekbench Single: 415
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 1912
- PCMark Work 2.0: 8293
- Speedometer 2.0: 25.2
I anticipated the Snapdragon 765G within the LG Velvet to be roughly much like the Snapdragon 730, however the 765G is definitely a very good deal faster and never all that far off from the 855. It significantly struggled with the PCMark Work 2.0 rating, however that would have extra to do with LG than the chip itself for the reason that V60 additionally significantly trails the Galaxy S20 Ultra in that check.
I used to be most impressed with the Speedometer rating. Android telephones have lengthy lagged Apple’s iPhones with its net efficiency scores—the iPhone SE, for instance, clocked a 166 in Speedometer 2.0—however the Velvet reveals spectacular features for a mid-range chip. That’s virtually double the scores I received with the Snapdragon 845 and 855, Qualcomm’s earlier two flagships.
LG Velvet
- Geekbench 5 Single: 610
- Geekbench 5 Multi: 1944
- PCMark Work 2.0: 7734
- Speedometer 2.0: 51.5
That’s an all-around enchancment over the Snapdragon 730 and 845, and never far off the 855, which continues to be carry bought in thousand-dollar telephones. Yes, it’s slower than the 865 in benchmarks, correctly, however when you think about the value distinction between the Velvet and different 5G telephones such because the Galaxy S20 Ultra and the OnePlus 8, the Snapdragon 765G processor ought to carry some thrilling releases later this 12 months at much more engaging worth factors. (Though to be honest, LG’s telephones are on the mercy of carriers, which are likely to inflate MSRPs to make reductions look extra engaging.) Battery life will must be examined as nicely, however preliminary impressions are robust.
For instance, the recently launched OnePlus Nord, which isn’t releasing within the U.S., is priced at 399 Euros or round $450 in U.S. {dollars}. That’s even cheaper than the Velvet and an incredible worth for a 5G handset. And if you issue within the speeds it could actually ship, OnePlus’s premium Android phones—which value twice as a lot—don’t appear fairly so premium anymore. I’ve solely been utilizing the Velvet for just a few days, however nothing about it feels gradual or laggy, and it’s unimaginable to inform the distinction between it and the V60 in day-to-day utilization.
There’s even discuss that Google could be utilizing the Snapdragon 765 within the upcoming Pixel 5 as a substitute of the 865, which makes quite a lot of sense to me. Google has all the time had a tough time competing with the Galaxies and that iPhones of the world, however with a cheaper price due to the 765 processor, that would change. The Snapdragon 765 opens up a world of alternative for Android OEMs and shoppers alike and for the primary time shortly, the way forward for telephones that aren’t operating probably the most highly effective Qualcomm chips may be very promising. Mid-range cameras and shows have been catching as much as their premium counterparts for years, and now the 765 appears to carry efficiency nearer to the higher-end of Android as nicely.
Premium cellphone costs won’t be falling anytime quickly, however with the Snapdragon 765, we’d not really want to purchase them anymore.