Snapdragon 685 vs Helio G88: Two Midrange Stalwarts Go Head-To-Head

In the year 2023, amidst the abundance of Systems on Chips (SoCs) dominating the lower midrange smartphone market, two SoCs rise above the rest: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 and the MediaTek Helio G88. If you're in the market to purchase a phone in the roughly N100,000 price range, chances are you'll come across devices equipped with one of these SoCs. The question at hand is: Which SoC holds the upper hand? In this episode, we are looking into the Snapdragon 685 vs. MediaTek Helio G88 comparison.

The Snapdragon 685, announced in the first quarter of 2023, technically represents a new SoC. Nevertheless, it is essentially a faster version of the older Snapdragon 680. Within the smartphone market, the Snapdragon 685 finds its niche in the lower midrange segment.

Contrary to initial expectations, the Snapdragon 685 has not garnered substantial traction among phone manufacturers. Presently, the sole device that employs this SoC is the Redmi Note 12 4G.

On the other side of the spectrum, we encounter the Helio G88. This SoC, which made its debut in June 2021, boasts a tenure of two years. Similar to the Snapdragon 685, the Helio G88 is also a sped-up version of a preceding chip, namely the Helio G85. Furthermore, it is positioned as a lower midrange SoC.

Nonetheless, the similarities stop here. Unlike the Snapdragon 685, the Helio G88 enjoys massive approval among smartphone producers. It graces the specifications of numerous handsets such as the Redmi 12, Redmi 10, Infinix Note 12, Infinix Hot 30, Tecno Spark 10 Pro, Infinix Hot 11s, Tecno Pova 3, Tecno Camon 18, Realme C55, Realme Narzo, among others.

Now, armed with a foundational understanding of both SoCs, let us embark on a comprehensive comparison.

(Snapdragon 685 vs. Helio G88 - Full Specs Comparison table)

Performance Comparison: Snapdragon 685 vs Helio G88

When it comes to executing smartphone applications, optimizing the phone's speed, and handling other CPU-centric tasks, the Snapdragon 685 significantly outperforms its counterpart. This performance disparity arises primarily due to the Snapdragon 685's configuration, featuring four robust Cortex A73 CPU cores clocked at 2.4GHz. Now while the MediaTek Helio G88 boasts more advanced Cortex A75 CPU cores, the discrepancy lies in their quantity, which is limited to a mere two. Consequently, when pitted against the Snapdragon 685's quartet of Cortex A73 cores, the G88's dual A75 cores fail to deliver an equivalent level of performance.

Performance: Snapdragon 685

Gaming Comparison: Snapdragon 685 vs Helio G88

Both of these System-on-Chips (SoCs) demonstrate an ability to handle a wide array of mainstream mobile games effectively. This is particularly true when games are configured to low or medium graphics settings. The list of games that these SoCs can handle includes renowned titles such as eFootball, PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile, Free Fire, and Dream League, among others. However, when faced with more demanding games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, or Grid AutoSport, these lower midrange SoCs tend to fall short of expectations.

In the context of gaming performance, it becomes evident that the Snapdragon 680, equipped with the Adreno 610 GPU, surpasses the Helio G88 with its Mali G52 MC2 GPU.

Gaming: Snapdragon 685

Cameras and Video Capability

When it comes to photography, it's noteworthy that both of these SoCs possess the capability to support cameras with a maximum resolution of 64MP. However, if we shift our focus to videography, the Snapdragon 685 has a slight advantage, in that it can seamlessly record and playback videos at 1080p resolution with a fluid 60fps, while the G88 is limited to 30fps in this regard.

Camera and Video: Snapdragon 685

Media Features

In terms of RAM and storage, the Snapdragon 685 takes the lead by supporting faster LPDDR4x (2133MHz) RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. In contrast, the Helio G88 lags in both categories, utilizing slower LPDDR4x RAM and eMMC 5.1 storage.

Consequently, the Snapdragon 685 is poised to deliver a relatively swifter performance compared to the G88.

Media: Snapdragon 685

Connectivity Comparison

Both SoCs are equipped with 4G LTE connectivity. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that the Snapdragon 680 boasts a swifter download speed (LTE Cat. 13, 390Mbps) in comparison to the more sluggish Helio G88 (LTE Cat. 7, 300Mbps). Additionally, the Snapdragon 685 supports Bluetooth 5.1, further enhancing its connectivity capabilities.

In practical terms, this implies that when utilizing the internet or Bluetooth, the Snapdragon 685 will offer faster download speeds and more robust connections.

Connectivity: Snapdragon 685

Battery Efficiency

The Snapdragon 685 has a very remarkable battery life. This advantage stems from its construction on a highly efficient 6nm TSMC process. Conversely, the G88 is manufactured on a significantly older 12nm process, which generates more heat and is less power-efficient.

Battery life: Snapdragon 685

In Conclusion

The Snapdragon 685 emerges as the clear winner in this comparison. It undeniably excels in various aspects. However, it's important to clarify that this isn't a condemnation of the Helio G88. Rather, it's a recognition that the Snapdragon 685 surpasses it in performance. Therefore, if you find yourself deliberating between these two SoCs, the choice is now evident.