Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Two Android phones running Android 16 either side of the Android robot logo on a pink and purple backdrop
Android Android 16 is coming soon – here are 5 new features you may have missed
Xiaomi 15 Ultra REVIEW back angled
Xiaomi Phones Xiaomi will soon reveal a flagship phone chip to rival the Apple A18 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite – here's why that's a big deal
Project Moohan on Jacob Krol at Google I:O 2025 Hands-On
Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality A Project Moohan benchmark gets spotted, and may have revealed the Android XR headset's key spec
Nothing Phone 2 review back angled table - white balanced
Nothing Phones Nothing confirms its flagship Phone 3 won't have a flagship chipset, but I don't think that matters – here's why
Qualcomm and Computex
CPU Qualcomm isn’t giving us new Snapdragon chips at Computex - but there’s a surprise waiting in September
Samsung Galaxy S25 showing the lock screen with two adorable collectible Android figurines on each side looking interested
Samsung Galaxy Phones Samsung's One UI 8 is close to a full launch – here are 5 new features that are likely coming soon
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris in front of the Louvre pyramid
Samsung Galaxy Phones Major Samsung leak predicts the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 launch highlights – here are 5 things to expect
  1. Phones

9 cool features Snapdragon 820 will bring to flagship smartphones in 2016

News
By John McCann published 10 November 2015

Insane downloads, immersive VR and real life photography

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The future of smartphones

The future of smartphones

Qualcomm has launch the Snapdragon 820, its latest high-end smartphone processor and its most high-performance chip ever.

It's gone back to the drawing board and completely redesigned its flagship product, bringing with it a raft of improvements from better battery life and increased performance, to enhanced photography and immersive VR.

Here are the nine best features the Snapdragon 820 will bring to 2016's smartphone flagships.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Insane download speeds

1. Insane download speeds

The Snapdragon 820 packs in Qualcomm's new X12 LTE Modem, which is capable of theoretical download speeds of up to a whopping 600Mbps, while uploads can max out at 150Mbps.

That means when it comes to downloading apps, streaming video or merely surfing the web, everything will load almost instantly.

These speeds will depend on your network and the service it offers, but you can be safe in the knowledge a handset with the Snapdragon 820 will be future proofed for several years.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. Eye-popping 4K displays

2. Eye-popping 4K displays

This isn't the first Snapdragon chip to support 4K displays, but Qualcomm has continued its work to improve clarity and reduce any hint of lag in the system for a seamless experience.

The number of pixels is important, but it's also the quality of what's displayed. The 820 allows for more realistic colour, lighting and shadows.

Qualcomm admits 2K displays, like the ones found on the LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6 and BlackBerry Priv, are sufficient for web browsing and general usage, but 4K screens opens up a world of possibilities in the VR sector.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. Audacious audio

3. Audacious audio

The Snapdragon 820 boasts 3D Audio, which gives the effect of surround sound through a set of headphones - even the rubbish ones included in the box of your shiny new smartphone.

It also allows you to record 3D Audio, giving your home movies a new dimension. Plus there's an option to directionally record audio, allowing you to cut out annoying background noise.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. Immersive VR

4. Immersive VR

Combine the 4K screen technology, 3D Audio and powerful new Kyro CPU and Adreno GPU and the Snapdragon 820 has all the components for a properly immersive virtual reality (VR) experience on your smartphone.

The screen can display incredibly lifelike renders, the surround sound audio pulls you in and the grunt of the processors ensures there's no lag from the sensors as you move your head around the virtual world.

Combine a smartphone sporting a Snapdragon 820 chip with a headset such as the Samsung Gear VR and you can be transported into a new level of virtual reality.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. Enhanced imaging

5. Enhanced imaging

Another core area of our smartphones is the camera, and the Snapdragon 820 has a few tricks up its sleeve to help you get the most out of your phone's snapper.

It uses Heterogeneous Signal Processing, which unlike HDR, which stitches two images together, it works round the image block by block to produce a more natural result.

Qualcomm says you'll be able to capture images that directly mirror what your eyes see.

Your phone will also know what you're taking a picture of, down to the person or type of food. This processing is all done on the phone - there's no need for a data connection or cloud access, and it keeps your data private.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Even better low light photography

6. Even better low light photography

Low light photography is a pain point for most smartphone cameras due to the limitations in sensor and lens size. You can't have the same lens and sensor as a DSLR on your smartphone - it's simply too big.

With Snapdragon 820, Qualcomm has looked to address this with software enhancements, reducing noise and increasing detail in low light shots.

It claims it can remove noise completely from low light shots, given you a clear, brighter and more natural shot.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. Longer battery life

7. Longer battery life

Will you get better battery life from the Snapdragon 820? "Absolutely" was the answer from Qualcomm, with the chip 30% more efficient than its predecessor.

Efficiencies have been made in all the core areas of the chip, with the CPU, GPU, DSP and modem all boasting improved performance over past offerings.

Qualcomm wasn't able to say how many extra hours that will equate to in the real world, and it will depend heavily on manufacturer's implementation and your usage.

The Snapdragon 820 also supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 technology, so when you do run low, you'll be able to top up quickly.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. A cooler handset

8. A cooler handset

The Snapdragon 820's predecessor, the 810, witnessed a number of reports regarding overheating issues, making handsets crash, drain the battery and get a little too hot to handle.

Qualcomm has significantly improved the thermal efficiency with the Snapdragon 820, which means your phone will stay cooler and in turn you'll get more battery life out of it. It's a win, win.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. No more malware

9. No more malware

The Snapdragon 820 can automatically detect threats from rogue applications before these have even had a chance to infect your handset.

It uses what Qualcomm is calling Smart Protect, which scans through all the applications on your device and flags any that it deems may pose threat. It can provide information on the type of malware it thinks it is, as well details on what it is trying to do.

You can then use Smart Protect to remove the application safely. Some apps may appear to be uninstalled, but reside secretly in the background. These spyware applications can gather various amounts of information, such as your location, without you knowing - but Smart Protect can alert you to this too and get it removed completely from your device.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
And so much more

And so much more

As this is Qualcomm's most advanced chipset to date, even it doesn't know all the capabilities just yet. It's up to the manufacturers and developers to take the tools the Snapdragon 820 provides and craft some truly amazing experiences for us.

You can expect VR to continue to play an increasingly important roll in the flagship handsets of 2016, but our other connected devices and the Internet of Things will also benefit from the technology.

Be it connected cars, wearables or smart washing machines - the Snapdragon 820 has laid some solid foundations.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
John McCann
John McCann
Social Links Navigation
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

See more News about Phones
Read more
Two Android phones running Android 16 either side of the Android robot logo on a pink and purple backdrop
Android 16 is coming soon – here are 5 new features you may have missed
Xiaomi 15 Ultra REVIEW back angled
Xiaomi will soon reveal a flagship phone chip to rival the Apple A18 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite – here's why that's a big deal
Project Moohan on Jacob Krol at Google I:O 2025 Hands-On
A Project Moohan benchmark gets spotted, and may have revealed the Android XR headset's key spec
Nothing Phone 2 review back angled table - white balanced
Nothing confirms its flagship Phone 3 won't have a flagship chipset, but I don't think that matters – here's why
Qualcomm and Computex
Qualcomm isn’t giving us new Snapdragon chips at Computex - but there’s a surprise waiting in September
Samsung Galaxy S25 showing the lock screen with two adorable collectible Android figurines on each side looking interested
Samsung's One UI 8 is close to a full launch – here are 5 new features that are likely coming soon
Latest in Phones
Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Foldable Charger
I don't travel without this combo iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods charger, and it's 33% off for Prime Day
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 on a pink deals background
I kid you not, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is already on sale at Amazon
Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices in black and white closed in hand
Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 FE is a black and white bargain flip that costs more than most flagship phones.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 next to the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7
9 things we learned from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked July 2025 event
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 on magenta pink background with don't miss text overlay
T-Mobile's opening Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 deal gets you $1,100 off - here's how
The Google Pixel 9, Google Pixel 9a, and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL on a yellow background. Text reads: Don't miss
Take your pick – every single Google Pixel 9 phone is on sale this Prime Day (yes, really!)
Latest in News
Two men holding the all-new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7
Samsung's big folding phone redesign is a breath of fresh air in a sea of AI-first phone launches
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 next to the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7
9 things we learned from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked July 2025 event
Windscribe app on an app store on a mobile phone (on the left), a screenshot of BulletVPN's closure statement taken on July 9, 2025 (on the right)
BulletVPN bites the bullet and shuts down for good – but you may be able to claim a free Windscribe subscription
Gemini Live
Google just announced 5 new Gemini features coming to Android, and it’s good news for fans of foldable smartphones
Wednesday Addams holding a back airhorn and looking unimpressed in Wednesday season 2
Netflix reveals new trailer for Wednesday season 2 that sees Jenna Ortega's reluctant hero on a race against time to save her best friend's life
A close-up of an interent search bar with 'http://ww' visible
Wix teams up with Monotype, introduces new fonts
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    The Sony Bravia 8 II is one of the best TVs I’ve tested this year, and it’s hit a record-low price for Prime Day
  2. 2
    I don't travel without this combo iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods charger, and it's 33% off for Prime Day
  3. 3
    The ‘most all-around attractive TV in Samsung’s 2025 TV range’ is getting a big Prime Day discount
  4. 4
    If you have a garage door, this $22 Prime Day deal is the smart upgrade you need
  5. 5
    Walmart has a rival Prime Day sale, and I've rounded up 29 deals I'd buy from just $17

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...