10 best processors for smartphones

At the heart of any computer technology is the processor. This also applies to smartphones - it depends on the power of the mobile chipset how quickly they will cope with the solution of various tasks. When reading the characteristics of the device on the processor should look, if not in the first, then certainly not the least. But which chipsets show good results? For many buyers, their names will not say anything. Perhaps it is time to correct this situation. This article will introduce you to the top ten processors installed in modern smartphones. In this case, we will discuss not only the top chips, but also the mid-budget and even the most inexpensive solutions.

Main characteristics

1. First you need to understand that any microprocessor (CPU) consists of certain components. In particular, it includes many transistors. And the smaller these components are, the less energy the whole chipset will consume. Therefore, professionals who regularly review mobile technology primarily look at the technical process for which the processor is manufactured. It is measured in nanometers. If we compare chipsets made according to the technological process of 12 and 30 nm, then at the same clock frequency and number of cores they will have completely different power consumption. That is, a smartphone with a second processor will require the charger to be connected more often (with absolutely identical other specifications and completely identical to the operating system). Reduced power consumption is due to the fact that smaller transistors produce less heat.
2. Another important characteristic is Number of Cores. But you shouldn't think that the eight-core chipset will definitely be more powerful than its quad-core brother. Even our rating will confirm that this is not always the case. Qualcomm has flagship solutions in the past, consisting of four cores, characterized by an increased clock frequency (the third important characteristic). Competitors at this moment offered eight-core chipsets, the clock frequency of which is noticeably lower. However, in some usage scenarios, it is the eight-core solution that shows itself better - when launching some simple application, only one core will work, which the quad-core product will be larger and less energy efficient. However, in real life, the difference is barely noticeable, and smartphones are increasingly working under load, processing a large amount of information even just in the background.
3. Be that as it may, the number of cores and their clock speed directly affect how quickly the operating system and all applications will work. Budget smartphones are equipped with a quad-core chipset, the frequency of which does not exceed 1.4 GHz. Costly devices work faster, since they include a processor with eight cores, half of which have a frequency of 2.2 GHz.Well, top mobile chipsets can be even more powerful.

Rating best processors for smartphones

Nomination	a place	Name of product	rating
The best processors for budget class smartphones (up to 10,000 rubles)	1	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430	4.9
	2	MediaTek MTK6737T	4.8
	3	MediaTek MT652M	4.7
The best processors for smartphones in the middle price segment (up to 20,000 rubles)	1	Qualcomm Snapdragon 650	4.9
	2	MediaTek MT6757T Helio P25	4.8
	3	Samsung Exynos 7885	4.7
The best processors for premium class smartphones	1	Apple A9X	4.9
	2	Xiaomi Pinecone S1	4.8
	3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998	4.8
	4	Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895M	4.7

The best processors for budget class smartphones (up to 10,000 rubles)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430

Rating: 4.9

1. Process technology: 28 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 1400 MHz

The ideal solution for a relatively inexpensive smartphone or tablet. But until some time it still cost the manufacturer a decent amount, and therefore the chip was found only in devices for 12-15 thousand rubles. But recently, Qualcomm has changed its pricing policy, in connection with which the processor began to meet in cheaper devices. That is, it has become a competitor to completely inexpensive MediaTek chipsets.

The product consists of eight cores Cortex-A53. The clock frequency of each of them can reach 1.4 GHz. In games, the Adreno 505 graphics accelerator is used. It is not to say that it works perfectly, but the graphics level has to be reduced not too much. It processes the chipset not only the graphics, but also the sound - the addition in the form of Hexagon DSP is responsible for this. It is assumed that this not only improves the sound quality, but also reduces power consumption, because the computational cores rest when playing music.

In the AnTuTu benchmark, such a processor is gaining about 45 thousand points. As befits a modern mobile chipset, it supports high-speed data transfer over LTE. However, this can boast all the products reviewed in this rating. As for cameras, a double module is supported by the chip as much as possible with a resolution of up to 21 megapixels. Available to the manufacturer of the smartphone and quick charge technology Quick Charge 3.0.

The Snapdragon 430 announcement was held in September 2015. Xiaomi Redmi 3S, Lenovo Vibe K6 and Wileyfox Swift 2 were released quickly enough - all these smartphones are built on the basis of the above mentioned processor. Now the number of devices with a Qualcomm mid-budget chip is extremely difficult to calculate - it is so large.

MediaTek MTK6737T

Rating: 4.8

1. Technological process: 28 nm
2. Number of cores: 4
3. Clock frequency: 1500 MHz

It must be one of the most popular mobile processors. The company MediaTek delivers it literally for a penny (figuratively speaking, in fact, each manufacturer costs a few dollars to a smartphone manufacturer). Like the previous chipset, the MTK6737T is created using a 28-nanometer process technology. This means that serious energy efficiency needs to be forgotten. There is also no separate audio chip, so one of the cores will be responsible for processing the sound. But support for LTE networks has not gone away. However, manufacturers of the cheapest smartphones deliberately block the possibility of high-speed data transfer.

This processor consists of four Cortex A53 cores operating at a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz. The Mali-T720 is used as a graphics accelerator for the smartphone. In the benchmark AnTuTu chipset receives no more than 37 thousand "parrots". This is a rather low result. But experts note that, more often than not, such a power reserve is enough to ensure stable operation. For games, however, cheap smartphones, the cost of which varies from 6 to 9 thousand rubles, are simply not intended. Note that the chip is limited in terms of Wi-Fi - it does not support the standard 802.11ac. As for the camera, the processor is capable of processing a 13-megapixel image. In theory, the manufacturer has the ability to embed videotape with a resolution of 1080p, but only at 30 frames per second.

In short, this is a good processor for almost the cheapest smartphones. In its price segment it has no competitors.

MediaTek MT652M

Rating: 4.7

1. Technological process: 28 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 1500 MHz

When developing this chipset, MediaTek focused on the processor reviewed a little higher in this rating. You yourself may notice an obvious similarity. It also uses kernels produced by the ARM Cortex A53 architecture, just their number has been exactly doubled. Moreover, even their clock frequency is identical - it does not exceed 1.5 GHz. Oddly enough, in AnTuTu the chip is gaining a little more than 40 thousand points. Apparently, the increase in the number of cores affected only energy efficiency, while the power of the processor remained about the same.

In games, the graphics accelerator Mali-T760 MP2 will be activated, the clock frequency of which is 695 MHz. It’s better not to count on an ideal result, you still have to reduce graphics settings in the most difficult games. Of course, there is also LTE support here - almost all smartphones based on this processor can access the Internet at high speed.

It cannot be said that this chipset for smartphone became incredibly popular. On its basis were released Acer Liquid Jade S, Lenovo A7000 and some other smartphones. However, MediaTek is a company that is constantly expanding its range of processors. Quite quickly there was a replacement for this chipset. However, at one time it was the best combination of price and performance.

The best processors for smartphones in the middle price segment (up to 20,000 rubles)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 650

Rating: 4.9

1. Technological process: 28 nm
2. Number of cores: 6
3. Clock frequency: 2x1800 MHz and 4x1200 MHz

This hit. When designing this processor, Qualcomm seems to have squeezed everything out of the 28-nanometer process technology. At the same time, the emphasis was not on computing power, but on energy efficiency, which is immediately noticeable in the chipset design. The company deliberately did not increase the number of cores to eight. Instead, it uses six cores of different caliber. The powerful cores of the ARM Cortex-A72 with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz are activated when solving complex problems - they are the least energy efficient. Well, most of the time ARM Cortex-A53 cores will be used, the clock frequency of which does not exceed 1.2 GHz. The stock of their power is enough for the stable operation of the operating system, especially if it is a fresh and optimized version of Android. In games, the Adreno 510 graphics accelerator starts working. All this allows the processor to gain about 70 thousand points in AnTuTu. A great result, especially considering that smartphones based on it are rarely expensive.

Unlike budget solutions, this smartphone chipset can boast Wi-Fi 802.11ac support. He is also able to determine the signal from the NFC-chip, if one is built into the mobile device. There are no problems with the chip and with LTE-networks - the maximum throughput of the processor is 300 Mbps. High performance opens up new possibilities for the manufacturer of the smartphone in terms of photo and video. In particular, the product supports cameras with 21-megapixel resolution. As for the video, it can occur with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. Of course, this is far from the ceiling for modern mobile processors - our rating still proves it. However, this allows you to create on the basis of this chipset devices, conditionally belonging to the category of "camera phones".

Of course, the mid-budget chip could not do without restrictions. Here the only drawback is due to the fact that the processor was not developed yesterday. Quick Charge 2.0 is used here as a fast charging technology, while later chips support the third version, which is a bit faster.

MediaTek MT6757T Helio P25

Rating: 4.8

1. Technological process: 16 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 4x2600 MHz and 4x1600 MHz

Another eight-core, but already much more powerful processor in our selection. All of its cores are divided into two clusters. The first includes cores with a clock frequency of 2.6 GHz. They work when you start games or, for example, during video editing. The second cluster consists of four cores with a clock frequency of 1.6 GHz.This is quite enough for the stable operation of the operating system and most applications.

The fact that the chipset is made according to the 16-nanometer process technology immediately attracts attention. This means that the Helio P25 consumes less energy than its budget counterparts. This will be especially felt if the smartphone is used only for solving basic tasks. It should be noted, and the presence here of the graphics accelerator Mali-T880 MP2. Its capabilities are quite enough for most modern games - it will be quite rare to reduce the level of graphics.

As it is easy to guess, the product supports data transmission over LTE networks. Moreover, the chip understands the LTE-A Cat standard. 6. This means that if the operator does not limit the speed, then it will be very high - in this regard, the processor, again, outperforms low-cost competitors.

The rest of the chip does not cause any complaints. By default, it supports the standard Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Also, the manufacturer of the smartphone is almost not limited to the camera being installed. The maximum processor is capable of processing a 24-megapixel image. Without any problems, the chip is able to provide 4K video.

Against this background, the fact that the AnTuTu processor is gaining about 62 thousand points is surprising. As for smartphones based on this chip, the most famous of them are Meizu Pro 7, Doogee Mix 2 and Ulefone F1. Most often, Chinese manufacturers make their choice in favor of MediaTek Helio P25.

Samsung Exynos 7885

Rating: 4.7

1. Technological process: 14 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 2x2200 MHz and 6x1600 MHz

Excellent processors are created by Samsung. It is their South Korean devices that are sold on the territory of most countries, with the exception of the United States (for certain reasons, they have to supply devices based on Qualcomm chipsets). If we talk specifically about Exynos 7885, then it consists of eight cores. The most powerful of them is the duet Cortex-A73 - these cores are capable of operating at a clock frequency of 2.2 GHz. In the usual time, six less powerful Cortex-A53 cores will work - their frequency does not exceed 1.6 GHz.

The processor for the smartphone has an integrated accelerator Mali-G71 MP2. Its capacity is enough to process graphics on screens with a resolution of no more than 1920x1200 or 2220x1080 pixels. With such a GPU, the chipset is gaining about 83 thousand points in the AnTuTu benchmark. This is a good result, which suggests that you can play on a smartphone - it will be necessary to reduce the level of graphics in rare cases.

The chip has a built-in modem that supports LTE-A Cat. 12. That is, in theory, the processor provides a bandwidth of 600 Mbit / s. Also, data can be transmitted over a Wi-Fi 802.11ac network. The chipset was introduced in early 2018, in connection with which he managed to get support for Bluetooth 5.0 technology. If we talk about the camera, in this regard, the South Koreans have created, if not a masterpiece, then a very good solution. The first processor received the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) - it has a 16-megapixel camera capable of shooting Full HD video at 30 frames per second. But the official site indicates that such a chip is capable of 4K video at the same frame rate (the capabilities of the above-mentioned smartphone are artificially understated, since it belongs to the mid-budget segment). The maximum chip supports a single camera with a resolution of 21.7 megapixel sensor or a dual module with 16 megapixel matrices.

The best processors for premium class smartphones

Apple A9X

Rating: 4.9

1. Manufacturing process: 14/16 nm
2. Number of cores: 2
3. Clock frequency: 2260 MHz

Apple A9X - this is the case when the number of cores does not solve anything. This chipset consists of only two cores, the clock frequency of which does not exceed 2.26 GHz. However, with a 14-nanometer process technology and a well-optimized operating system, this design is enough. We must not forget that iOS does not support multi-window operation mode, so it does not need extra high power.

When developing this processor, the “apple” company did not work on the cores, but on the memory bandwidth - compared to its predecessor, it was doubled.This means that applications open much faster, and the launch of games now takes not so much time.

The processor includes a seventh series PowerVR graphics accelerator, created from 12 clusters. This is evidenced by the fact that the iPad Pro tablet computer with a 12.9-inch display is made on the basis of this chip. Experts note that in terms of their performance, the chipset is very close to the processors from the Intel Core M series, with which, by the way, laptops are equipped.

It should be noted that Apple A9X is made immediately by two companies. And if Samsung copes with the release of the chipset on a 14-nanometer process technology, then TSMC has only 16 nm capabilities. Nevertheless, the difference between the two versions of the processor is almost not felt - devices based on them can differ only if the battery life, calculated only in minutes.

If you are interested in the result in AnTuTu, then it reaches an impressive 176 thousand "parrots". Everything is in order with the chip and with wireless capabilities. As for the camera, then the maximum product is not disclosed. Of course, far from being the best camera is built into the tablet, because it will rarely be used, and therefore it is not necessary to judge the chipset on this device.

Xiaomi Pinecone S1

Rating: 4.8

1. Technological process: 28 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 4x2100 MHz and 4x1400 MHz

The production of its processor some time ago ordered the Chinese company Xiaomi. New received name Pinecone S1. It is easy to guess that the firstborn could not get perfect. The 28 nm technical process immediately attracts attention - it is now only budget processors that are being created. However, the Chinese tried to squeeze everything out of it, even if it affects the level of energy consumption. They supplied their creation with eight cores of Cortex-A53. Half of them work at a clock frequency of 2.1 GHz - it is assumed that these cores will be launched during games or when solving any other complex tasks. The second half of the cores operates at a clock frequency of 1.4 GHz. These kernels work with normal use of the operating system, when only messengers and other similar programs work in the background.

The Mali-T860 MP4 is used here as a graphics accelerator. The chip supports RAM memory format LPDDR3, the clock frequency of which should not exceed 933 MHz. All this allows the chipset to get about 65 thousand points in AnTuTu Benchmark. The result is not impressive, but for a debutant this is quite good.

So far, this processor for a smartphone can be found only in Xiaomi Mi5C, which does not receive the best reviews on the Internet. The device is estimated at 12-13 thousand rubles, which formally makes it a representative of the mid-budget segment. But there is no doubt that Xiaomi will try to design a more powerful continuation based on the Pinecone S1, which will be carried out in a completely different process technology. Perhaps only because of this, the chip fell into our rating. Consider it our advance.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998

Rating: 4.8

1. Technological process: 10 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 4x2450 MHz and 4x1900 MHz

One of the thinnest processors among the existing at the moment. When its production is used, scary to say, 10-nanometer process technology. Five or six years ago it seemed impossible! This is also the case when even the least powerful quartet of nuclei puts some budgetary chipset on the blades. These cores operate at clock speeds up to 1.9 GHz! Well, the other four cores turned out even more productive. Together with the Adreno 540 video accelerator, which operates at a frequency of 710 MHz, this allows you to enjoy any games without reducing the graphics settings! Surprisingly, there is even support for DirectX 12. Also, the chipset can boast support for the LPDDR4X RAM, information from which is transmitted over two 32-bit channels. The memory frequency can reach an impressive 1866 MHz.

Such a processor for a smartphone easily gains more than 181 thousand points in the AnTuTu benchmark. But high power is not the only advantage of the top chipset. It has the support of a completely new technology 6DoF - it serves for better performance of VR-projects.Also, support for 4K video recording with a frequency of 60 frames / s is built into the graphic component of the chip - if only the manufacturer has provided its smartphone with a corresponding camera. But that's not all! The processor supports the display of pictures with the effect of HDR 10! That is, the image can be no worse than on some expensive TV. Of course, here, too, everything depends on the device manufacturer - to display such an image, you need not only the appropriate content, but also a fairly expensive LCD display. Finally, it is impossible not to mention the implemented support for Qualcomm aptX and aptX HD technologies. They help to bring to the Bluetooth-headphones a sound close to CD-quality. Of course, the headset itself on its side must also support one of these technologies. The chip is also equipped with an ultra-high-speed LTE modem - it even allows you to use gigabit networks, which is implemented using 4 × 4 MIMO technology.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 get many of the flagship, the cost of which exceeds 30 thousand rubles. In particular, this chipset can be found in the version of the Samsung Galaxy S8, supplied to the territory of North America. More top-end processor have such flagships as Xiaomi Mi 6, OnePlus 5 and Google Pixel 2. These smartphones need unimaginable power, and they get it. Perhaps it is the Snapdragon 835 that shows that the development of mobile processors will soon come to a standstill. Yes, gradually they will become more energy efficient. They may be more powerful, but what will it give to the user? The possibilities of the above-mentioned chipset are enough with the head. And if the computer can be used for editing and encoding the resulting video, then smartphones are rarely used to solve such problems. So, while more powerful chips are simply not needed.

Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895M

Rating: 4.7

1. Technological process: 10 nm
2. Number of cores: 8
3. Clock frequency: 4x1700 MHz and 4x2300 MHz

The South Korean company Samsung managed to create a chipset using a 10-nanometer process technology. Her Exynos 9 consists of eight cores. They are usually divided into two clusters. The least productive cores operate at a clock frequency of 1.7 GHz. More powerful cores operate at a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz. Such indicators are enough for any applications and games designed for the Android operating system. Graphics processing is engaged in video accelerator Mali-G71 MP20. Its capabilities are also sufficient for video editing, and for launching modern games. He also knows how to recognize visual information received from the camera. For example, in this way, the processor can learn to recognize people, vehicles, and other objects.

This chipset for the smartphone can display a picture with a resolution of up to 3840x2400 or 4096x2160 pixels. Also, the product supports RAM memory format LPDDR4X, characterized by high frequency of work. Nothing bad can be said about the bandwidth of the processor. If we talk about the LTE-module, then it is easy to guess, is gigabit.

The creators of smartphones are completely unleashed with such a chipset. Although there is no doubt that the processor is unlikely to ever appear outside the South Korean devices. Its creators claim that the chip supports a 28 megapixel single or 16 megapixel dual camera. They also take pride in supporting 4K video recording at 120 frames per second. However, it is clarified that it is unlikely that a smartphone will be able to write video with such parameters for a long time - rather quickly it leads to overheating. Therefore, high-speed shooting is carried out only for a few seconds, and the chipset recognizes the start of the action scene automatically.

Perhaps it is this processor that makes it possible to understand why South Korean flagships are so expensive. No other mobile chipset has this capacity yet. And no other has such a mass of opportunities (in this rating we did not tell even half of them).

Conclusion

This is the list of the best mobile processors available to manufacturers of portable devices at the time of this writing. Note that such chipsets are not only built into smartphones, but also into tablets. They are distinguished from their counterparts from desktops and laptops by the ARM architecture, sharpened by processing the commands of the Android, iOS, Windows Phone operating systems and the like.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.