Smartphones are evolving at an exponential rate, providing better and faster smartphones each year. The processing power that these phones posses are immaculate. With the advent of machine learning and artificial intelligence, the phones are continuously becoming even better. Phones which had difficulty in responding to touch a decade back can now recognise our voices with high accuracy. The main reason for this enhanced smartphone experience goes to the SoCs, which drive these smartphones.
Smartphone processors are getting smaller, power-efficient, and faster with each passing year. Artificial Intelligence has made these processors complete beasts in terms of processing power, enabling the phones they power to take beautiful pictures, perform voice and facial recognition in the blink of an eye, among several other things. Above all, these highly efficient SoC has made life better.
In this article, we will be comparing two SoCs. The Snapdragon 660 and MediaTek Helio P70. Both of these processors can be seen in mid-range smartphones. Vivo V15 is powered by Helio P70, and the Nokia 7.2 is powered by the Snapdragon 660. We will be talking in-depth about the features of these SoC. So that you can make an educated guess as to which SoC is better.
Also read: Exynos 9610 vs Snapdragon 675 vs Helio P70
Snapdragon 660 compared to Helio P70
The SoC on your smartphone is not like the CPU on your laptop. The SoC has other components, which include the CPU, GPU, Memory controller, Camera-display support, and connectivity hardware. So without any further ado, let us see, which SoC is better.
Lithography
The lithography of a silicon chip refers to the size of the transistors it carries. Smaller lithography packs a higher number of transistors on the same silicon die. Moreover, smaller transistors consume lesser power giving more power saving. Therefore, smaller lithography is always better.
Snapdragon 660 uses a 14nm manufacturing process, whereas the Helio P70 uses a 12nm process. So a smartphone with the P70 will give you better battery life and performance.
CPU Cores and Clock Speeds
These parameters are used to get an idea of the processing power of the CPU. A higher clock frequency enables a CPU to perform more instructions at the same time. More cores provide higher computation ability and better multitasking
Cores and clock speeds are used to get an idea of the processing power of the CPU. A higher clock frequency enables a CPU to perform more instructions at the same time. More cores provide higher computation ability and better multitasking.
Both Snapdragon and Helio P70 have a total of eight cores. But there is a difference in the configuration of these eight cores. The Snapdragon 660 hosts eight Qualcomm Kryo 260 CPU clocked between 1.95 GHz to 2.2 GHz. On the other hand, MediaTek P70 houses eight cores in a big.LITTLEconfiguration by ARM. This configuration uses four ARM Cortex-A73 2.1 GHz processors (high-performance cores) and four ARM Cortex-A53 2.0 GHz processors (power-saving cores).
So the Helio might be able to give better power saving, but the Snapdragon will provide better performance.
GPU
If you are a die-hard PUBG fan, you should look for a better GPU. The GPU is responsible for creating a better gaming experience. MediaTek uses an Arm Mali-G72Â GPU that operates at up to 900MHz. Snapdragon uses a Qualcomm Adreno 512 GPU.
Looking at the various benchmarks for both the GPUs, Mali G72 and the Adreno 512, the G72 is the clear winner.
Memory controller
The memory controller is used to access the RAM. A faster access time provides a better user experience. Both Snapdragon and MediaTek use an LPDD4 RAM at 1800 MHz.
Camera and display
In the display department, the Snapdragon can support a Quad HD (2560×1600 pixel) display. It also provides an option of 4K output to an external display. The Helio P70, on the other hand, offers a full HD display, which has fewer pixels compared to a QHD display. So, if you are looking for a better display, you should choose the Snapdragon.
AI
Both these phones have advance AI cores, which help to provide a better smartphone experience. These AI cores improve photography, mobile security, and gaming in a big way.
Benchmarks
In my opinion, benchmarks do not justify the performance of a smartphone, and it is not the right metric to distinguish between devices. Each device is built differently and uses processor resources differently. But still here are the benchmarks for Nokia 7.2 running a Snapdragon 660 and Vivo V15 running a P70.
- Nokia 7.2 scores a 143 on Antutu benchmark
- Vivo V15 scores a 179 on Antutu benchmark
In conclusion, the Helio P70 is better than the Snapdragon 660 in terms of a better GPU and a power-saving CPU. But the Snapdragon offers a better display. So if you want a better-looking screen, you should go for the Snapdragon 660.
| Category | MediaTek Helio P60 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Four ARM Cortex A53 at Clock frequencies up to 2 GHz; 4 ARM Cortex A73 at Clock frequencies up to 2 GHz; lithography 12 nm | Eight Kryo 260 at Clock frequencies: Up to 2.2 GHz ;lithography 14 nm, |
| GPU | Mali G72 MP3 | Adreno 512 |
| Video | Up to 48MP AI Snapshot, 32MP @ 30fps with ZSD or 16MP @ 90fps | Up to 4K Ultra HD at 30 fps (videorecording |
| Display | Full HD | Quad HD |
| Memory | Up to 8 GB, dual-channel LPDDR4X at 1800 MHz | Dual-channel LPDDR4 at 1866 MHz |
| Battery Charging | Fast battery charging | Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 |
Also read:Â Helio P60 vs Snapdragon 660
