With smartphones, image processing is as important-if not more important-than the camera hardware components themselves, which is why the chipset is a crucial element in the imaging pipeline. Most Android smartphones come equipped with Qualcomm`s Snapdragon chipsets, and the company has just unveiled its latest top-end product, the Snapdragon 845.
We will probably see the Snapdragon 845 in many of 2018`s high-end devices, and that`s a very good thing for the camera system.
As you`d expect from any new chipset, it`s faster than the predecessor Snapdragon 835, comes with more integrated AI processing power and supports higher data speeds. However, the Snapdragon 845 also offers a range of important improvements in the imaging department.
Images can now be captured in 10-bit color with a Rec. 2020 gamut, offering a wider range of tones and hues than the previous 8-bit color. While that`s impressive, the 845`s capability to shoot 60 frames per second at 16MP is even more important when you consider image stacking applications, such as HDR modes or low-light modes that combine several frames to average out noise and improve overall quality.
Another area of improvement is slow-motion video. Next year`s Android flagships will be able to record an impressive 480fps slow motion at 720p in HDR-unfortunately, 1080p resolution will still be limited to 120 fps, lagging behind the current iPhones` 240 fps capability. Qualcomm is catching up with Apple in terms of video frame rates, though. Like the iPhones 8, 8Plus and X, Snapdragon 845-equipped phones will be able to record 4K footage at 60 fps.
The Xaomi Mi 7 will be the first 2018 model to come with the new chipset, but it`s also expected to be installed on the Samsung Galaxy S9 (which may also come with a variable aperture...). Other brands will likely follow soon after, giving mobile photographers a lot to look forward to in 2018.
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