Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs. Snapdragon 870: Redefining The Flagship Killer Standard

Hey there and welcome to our SoC comparison series. In this one, we are going to be looking at the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs. Snapdragon 870. Both of them are high-end SoCs from the same manufacturer (Qualcomm).

The Snapdragon 870 is the older SoC here, having been announced in 2021. It is a reworked version of the Snapdragon 865 which was a de facto Android flagship. The Snapdragon 870 was designed to be a flagship killer. For those who are not familiar, a flagship killer is an SoC that offers flagship-level performance at more affordable prices.

The Snapdragon 870 was (and still is) a popular choice among smartphone manufacturers and can still be found in some modern phones. It can be found in phones such as the Poco F3, Poco F4, Xiaomi 12x, Xiaomi Black Shark 5, Reno 6 Pro, Axon 40 Pro, and Vivo S16.

The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, on the other hand, is a newer chip. It was announced in March of 2023. Like the Snapdragon 870, it is a revised version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. As its name suggests, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is billed as a midrange SoC. However, when it comes to performance, it is anything but midrange. Our reviews show that this SoC is a bonafide flagship killer as well.

Whilst the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is still finding its way into the hearts of smartphone OEMs, it has already made its way onto phones like the Poco F5, Redmi Note 12 Turbo, and the Realme GT Neo 5 SE.

Given what we know now, we can see a comparison of the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs. Snapdragon 870 is not far-fetched. So which SoC is the better one? Let's find out.

Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs. Snapdragon 870 Full Specs comparison table

Performance of the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs Snapdragon 870

Given the naming schemes of both SoCs, it would be easy to make the mistake of thinking that the SD 870 is better. The 8 series are Flagships while the 7 series are considered Midrange. Most people could easily base their judgment on this premise and proclaim the SD870 as the better one. This is very incorrect.

The SD 7+ Gen 2 boasts 1 Cortex X2 and 3 Cortex A710 CPU cores for high-performance activities. In comparison, the 870 only has 4 Cortex A77 CPU cores. For confirmation, the SD 7+ Gen 2 boasts a performance score of 942,857 on AnTuTu (v9) while the SD 870 comes a distant second with 711,445.

Performance: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2

Gaming on the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 vs Snapdragon 870

In gaming, both SoCs are very capable but just like with the performance CPUs, the SD 7+ Gen 2 with its Adreno 725 GPU is well ahead here. The SD 870 (with the Adreno 650 GPU) on the other hand has to make do with second place.

Gaming: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2

Cameras and Video

Both SoCs have ISPs that can support up to 200 MP cameras which is impressive in its own right. However, video recording and playback are where the flagship killer status of the SD 870 shows. The SD 870 is capable of recording and playing videos of 8K @30fps and 4K @60fps. The SD 7+ Gen 2 on the other hand can only record a max video resolution of 4K @60fps.

Camera and Video: Snapdragon 870

Media

Both SoCs are pretty neck-to-neck here. They both support UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. They also both have support for all video and audio codecs. The two key differences here are that:

1. The SD 7+ Gen 2 has the faster LPDDR5 RAM (3200MHz)
2. The SD 870 has support for up to 2160p (UHD or 4K) whilst the SD 7+ Gen 2 can only support 1600p (QHD+)

Media: Tie

Connectivity

A smartphone first and foremost is a communication device and Qualcomm made sure that both SoCs come fully stacked in this department. Both SoC are 5G capable but the SD 7+ Gen 2 uses the newer Snapdragon X62 5G modem but has a slower peak download speed. This means that the SD 7+ Gen 2 has a peak download speed of 4400 Mbps and has support for Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6. The SD 870 on the other hand uses an older Snapdragon X55 5G modem, has a faster 7500 Mbps download speed, and supports Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6.

Connectivity: I suppose this is a tie but let me know what you think in the comments

Battery life

When it comes to battery life, there is no contest. Although the SD 7+ Gen 2 is a rather powerful SoC, it is built on a very efficient TSMC process which means it should run cooler and conserve more battery than the older SD 870.

Battery life: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2

Conclusion

If you are an avid gamer or video editor, or you work out of your phone, it is a no-brainer to go with the 7+ Gen 2. What makes this decision even easier is the added fact that the 7+ Gen 2 goes easier on your battery. However, if you are more of a camera/media person, then the SD 870 is the better choice. Whatever you choose should depend on your needs.