Best smartphone processors in 2020

If you look at it, then at the heart of every modern computer technology is a processor. This is worth noting in the case of smartphones, because their chipset power indicators will determine how quickly they are able to cope with a number of tasks. Studying the technical characteristics of the device, pay attention to one of the first stages of the processor. This is really a very important indicator that should be given enough time.

Of course, in order to correctly understand this characteristic, you need to understand the names, which is beyond the power of many readers. Our article will allow you to correct this situation in your favor. As part of the information presented, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the TOP, which includes the best processors for smartphones in 2020. We hope that this article will help clarify the data on choosing a good filling for the device.

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Main characteristics

So, first of all, let's denote that all modern microprocessors include a number of specific components. The CPU includes many transistors. The smaller these components are, the lower the power consumption of the chipset. Specialists who work on the creation of mobile technology reviews pay attention initially to the process technology. Such measurements are carried out in nanometers.

If we compare the chipsets that are made in accordance with the technical process 12 and 30 NM, then at a clock frequency with the same characteristics and the number of cores, the indicators will have a different amount of energy consumed. Those. a smartphone with a second processor will need to connect charging more often, even the same OS is installed, and the rest of the specifications of the same sample apply.

The decrease in energy consumption indicators will be due to the fact that miniature transistors are able to produce reduced indicators of such a resource as heat.

It is worth paying attention to the number of cores in the processor. Do not think that an 8-core device will be more powerful than a 4-core one. This is not true. Even a list of the best smartphones with a powerful processor will be able to confirm the above words. For example, Qualcomm has a number of flagship solutions in the past, which are based on 4 cores, they have an increased clock frequency, which is the third most important criterion. Against this background, many other companies produced 8-core devices, but their clock rate was noticeably reduced.

Of course, such cases are not excluded when 8-core chipsets demonstrate much better performance. For example, this may be the case when launching a simple application, when one core is included in the work. But if a 4-core product has it larger and more energy efficient, you should understand that the application will turn on much faster.

In fact, it is worth considering this specificity from the point of view of the fact that in real life the difference between 8 and 4-core chipsets is not noticeable to the naked eye. In our TOP there will be a worthy example of such a situation. Smartphones are increasingly working under a solid load, taking on the tasks of processing a really large amount of data, even if it is in the background.Whatever one may say, but the clock rate, the number of cores can affect the overall operation of applications and the OS.

Having dealt with this information, let's move on to the question of which processor is the best for a smartphone this year. The TOP will help with this.

Best Smartphone Processors of 2020

Samsung Exynos 9810, 9820

In recent years, Samsung has increasingly begun to use the Exynos 9810 SoC installation. This is due to the fact that smartphones demonstrate high energy efficiency. This is most likely due to the 10nm process technology and modest performance. With such indicators, the Mali-G72 MP18 will easily launch programs, and 8 cores will successfully work at 1.8 or 2.5 GHz frequencies. If we turn to the popular AnTuTu test, the processor is estimated at 250,000 points.

Another Exynos 9820 processor has become a more advanced version of the above model. The main improvement is in the use of neural networks. The processor is based on the new core platform - M4, Cortex A75 and A55.

Referring to the results of the tests, it should be noted that the indicators were increased by a couple of tens of thousands.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

The processor is in demand by manufacturers of modern smartphones. It has 8 cores. Produced with the participation of Samsung, which has proven itself in the market on the positive side. It should be noted that the Kryo 385 cores are installed in it, while their clock frequency is 2.8 GHz. This allows you to take up 2 MB of L3 cache.

In its work, the architecture is not addressed to the OP. As a result, the performance gains are really solid. By tradition, Adreno took over responsibility for the graphics.

In fact, the updated chipset has many advantages. In particular, this concerns the functioning with Extended Reality. It includes a separate module Hexagon 685, which is designed to work with artificial intelligence. All this gives reason to understand that the performance gain will be really high.

Mediatek Helio P23

ARM Cortex A53 processor, 4 x 8 and 4 cores @ 1.7GHz. it is important to note the 16nm length of the transistor. The architecture of the device is able to provide an optimal performance indicator. Energy efficiency is not far behind. As a result of testing, it is possible to notice that smartphones on 2 SIM cards with such a processor work at the highest level. Dual LTE module allows you to drive multiple slots at the same time, which have a corresponding connection.

HiSilicon Kirin 980

According to many users, this is the best processor for a smartphone. Experienced engineers from China worked on it. It is worth recognizing that the manufacturer regularly produces quality components with bold solutions and great innovations. In 2017, Huawei released a new chipset, which was driven by a 7nm process technology.

The Kirin 980's arsenal is represented by Cortex-A76 cores, and the number of transistors has also been increased by 1.6 times. As a result, it was possible to increase the capacity indicators by 20 percent. All this allows the chipset to take pride of place on the list.

The updated version uses GPU Mali-G76, which allows you to run games and 3D applications, while the frequency is up to 60 fps. Although efficiency has increased significantly, energy saving rates have also increased by 50 percent.

Apple Bionic A11, A12

This is a new generation that pleases with a doubled number of cores. There are 4 of them, but this is enough for the processor to launch applications quickly without braking. He specializes more in graphic tasks, providing the user with more opportunities for video and photo.

The device is capable of shooting at 4K resolution, guaranteeing color reproduction and excellent noise reduction.

In fact, the A12 is no worse than its predecessor. It has 6 cores, and it also has the ability to work with artificial intelligence, which is responsible for the graphics processing. In accordance with this improvement, the overall performance was increased by 1/3, but the power consumption fell by ¼.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625

Thinking about which processor is better for an Android smartphone, pay attention to this offer, which has become very popular in the domestic market. The manufacturing company has released a processor with 8 cores, the clock speed of which is 2.0 GHz. Used A53 with 14 nm process technology. In fact, the chipset is able to handle really heavy versions of video games, due to the Adreno 506 graphics adapter.

The chipset is 64-bit. He is able to use energy in an optimal way. During the processing process, it is not prone to heat. It may not be as powerful as its 2017 counterparts, but it is still productive and not expensive. This is the best processor for an Android smartphone, according to many experts. More than 20 items of modern design function on this platform. We have to admit that these are quite good devices that allow you to shoot and broadcast video in 4K resolution. Also, the processor proved to be excellent on phones with a 2nd camera, even if this was not noted by the chipset manufacturer.

Helio P60, P70

Mediatek has made great efforts to create a new processor that is slightly worse in performance than the flagship models, but at a very reasonable cost. Indeed, the declared chipset contains 8 cores, which are divided into 2 clusters. We are talking about the A53 and A73 Cortex. The work is carried out at a frequency of 2 GHz. It seems that this device has every chance to take a leading position among competitors, but it turns out that not everything is so smooth. The situation is due to the fact that the powerful chipset works in conjunction with the Mali-G72. This is a video accelerator with a 3-core structure. But there is a plus in it: the device has a power distribution system that saves energy. The graphics accelerator frequency is 800 MHz.

Speaking about the P70 version, with a similar power of cores and their corresponding number, it should be noted that the frequency of the graphics accelerator is 900 MHz. Moreover, there are many more multimedia options. Photographic scenes are recognized much faster, and the image quality is also high. Moreover, the processor of the new sample received a 4G LTE modem, which has a bandwidth of up to 300 Mbps. It is in his power to maintain the full functioning of 2 SIM cards.

MediaTek MT652M

MediaTek is releasing decent chipset offerings for smartphone applications. This variant has 8 cores at a clock speed of 1500 MHz and a 28nm process technology. The development of the cores corresponds to the ARM Cortex A53, but the number of them has increased several times. Moreover, when testing AnTuTu, the chip gains 40,000 points.

The increase in the number of cores affected the energy efficiency and the power characteristics of the processor. The graphics accelerator has been activated, we are talking about the Mali-T760 MP2, its frequency is 695 MHz. This result is not ideal, but sufficient. But if we are talking about heavy games, then it will still be appropriate to lower the graphics settings.

LTE support is also available. All smartphones based on the processor have the ability to access the Internet at a solid speed. Based on this processor, there are a number of popular smartphones from Lenovo and Acer.

In fact, MediaTech regularly expands the range of chipsets, and therefore this option was quickly replaced, in fact, like many others from the manufacturer's line.

HiSilicon Kirin 710

The processor is based on 8 cores, a 16-nm process technology is performed. All cores are divided into operating frequencies of 1.7 and 2.36 GHz. These are the lower and upper clusters. The results of AnTuTu surprised us in a pleasant way. This is a decent processor with a far from average price policy. But even here you need to be careful not to end up with a situation where in practice everything turns out to be far from so rosy.

The graphic component is represented by the Mali-T830 MP2. It allows you to ensure that games and graphics applications are loaded correctly.Along with this, GPU Turbo mode is active. Due to this, the new chipset enables the smartphone to recognize the owner in accordance with his appearance features. It should be noted that no previous development had such an opportunity in practice.

Huawei Kirin 970

Huawei continues to delight all fans of high-quality processors. This time, the Chinese presented a single-chip platform, the main feature of which is associated with a neuromorphic processor, which has an open ecosystem. This is a chipset with maximum performance, it works in different interfaces and platforms using artificial intelligence.

Kirin 970 is made on the basis of 10 nm and a crystal. As a result, it was possible to recreate a chipset with a neural unit, which has an NPU inclusion architecture. All this made it possible to increase performance, reducing power consumption indicators by 10 times, in contrast to conventional chips.

The device is no larger than a nail. Moreover, it has 8 cores, 4 Cortex-A73 and A53. Clusters differ in frequency of 2.4 and 1.8 GHz. The interface supports 4K video resolution. Plus, it can detect faces, capture movements, and autofocus works. And the shooting of moving objects is clear, even if there is insufficient illumination.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, 632

The Qualcomm team continues to release Snapdragon. This time the focus is on the 636. It's a chipset that is ideal for mid-range smartphones. It runs on 8 cores. Each of them is Kryo 260, and the frequency is 1.8 GHz. Even if these are not the greatest indicators, the cores are capable of providing 40% more power than the usual A53 Cortex. Along with the Adreno 509 graphics accelerator, the cores perform their best.

The brand also introduced the 632 version, which is often used in Android smartphones, which are in the demanded TOPs. The number of cores is the same, but the specialization has changed. Half of them are responsible for energy efficiency, while the other half is responsible for performance characteristics. All this contributes to a significant increase in power.

Smartphones with 632 Snapdragon chipset are capable of handling 10 applications simultaneously. It can be heavy software or online games. Due to the new development of the chip, there is support for 4K video, artificial intelligence, as well as high-speed LTE connection. The Snapdragon 632 works great with the dual cameras that have become a part of many modern devices.

Samsung Exynos 7885

This chipset is capable of providing a smartphone with really stable operation with a number of tasks. It runs on 8 cores at 2.2 and 1.8 GHz. Indicators depend on the cluster. The processor is able to provide the device with normal operation with 2 SIM cards and LTE technology. This makes it possible to quickly communicate on the Web or transfer data.

In fact, the option is really appropriate, but there is no latest generation graphics to call it perfect. Samsung has given the gadget the ability to work with the Mali-G71, but the video accelerator has a minimal configuration.

Apple A9X

The Apple A9X processor runs on only 2 cores. This is a vivid example of the fact that their number does not play a big role. The chipset consists of 2 cores, the clock frequency of which does not exceed 2.26 GHz. The technical process is 14-16 nm.

It is important to note that the OS does not support multi-window mode, and therefore the device does not need high power. The company focused in its work not on cores, but on how much memory bandwidth has. If we compare with its predecessor, then the indicators have been increased by 2 times. As a result, applications open much faster, and the launch of gaming software is significantly reduced.

The chipset includes the PowerVR 7 series graphics accelerator. It consists of 12 clusters. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is usually referred to as tablet-type computers, functions perfectly on it

From the words of the experts, you can see that the chipset has come close to Intel Core M, which are in demand in many modern laptops.As for the AnTuTu benchmark, the processor was able to get 176,000 points. Many would agree that these are impressive results.

The chipset is ideal in terms of performance, but the camera can be frustrating. This is not the best option, but considering that you don't need to use the camera very often, the processor is worthy of attention.

Summing up

This TOP of the best processors for smartphones that are on the market in 2020 has come to an end. We hope we were able to clarify the situation. Note that such chipsets are not built exclusively into smartphones, they can often be found in the specifications of tablets. Their distinctive features from processors for PCs and laptops are the indicators of the ARM architecture, which is configured to process commands from Windows Phone, Android, iOS.

There are a lot of chipset options. Moreover, the line is regularly updated. Manufacturers delight with new models. After analyzing the rating, it becomes clear that everyone can buy a decent smartphone, both flagship and budget models, in which the processor will produce excellent performance characteristics.