Why Microsoft is using old Snapdragon processors

[patisnotageek]

Not sure where you are from, but I have
never met anyone that buys a new phone every 6 months. The future proofing bit is for those that would be stuck on a long 2 yr contract.

I am in the US, contract or no I know people that have to have every new flagship that comes out. My coworker said his son gets a new one about every 3 months.

I didn't think the UK did the two year contract thing.

 

[patisnotageek]

Amen to that!

I genuinely cannot understand why anyone would want anything but the best processor in a flagship.

Most people I know have absolutely no idea what processor is in their phone, just how the phone works for them. Around here people generally buy either an I-Phone or what ever Android the local Verizon store is pushing.

 

[Angry_Mushroom]

You have a point. We do want Microsoft to use the 820 over the 810 but won't your friends feel bad Ehen they realise an 810 phone is running better than their phone running the 820.

That's doubtful even at the more optimistic side of the rumors. The new Kyros design should put Qualcomm back at the front of the pack as they were during the Krait era. The 810 today runs hot in every application it's found in, and the rumors of an updated less hot chip has yet to be seen, and I doubt the Lumia 940 will be much different when compared to anywhere else the 810 is found.

At the end of the day, the new Qualcomm 820 should prove to be a homerun by any standard with a GPU to boot. Keep in mind that Samsung isn't standing still, and will release their own homegrown ARM chip-set within a year or so. Your friends will be smug with their higher performing chip while you will be smug at the fact your hands will never go cold in the winter.

tl;dr: MS' development cycle seems to put their flagship devices right at the end of a chip generation. The 920 came at the end of the S4 era, the 930 came just in time for the 801 to be announced. The 940 appears to be on track to be released just as the Snadragon 820 comes to light. Thankfully Windows Phone OS appears to run well on most chip-sets... as it unsurprisingly should with MS' Qualcomm exclusivity usage.

 

[Fiann]

As mentioned above, there's a long lead time on chips in terms of hardware development.

It takes a long time to design the phone's hardware and the SOC comes first. You can't really design a new handset and slap whatever current chip is available into it the same way you might do with a desktop setup.

You really can't do that with a desktop either. Well, I mean, I guess if you're small scale you could but at the large scales we're talking about you don't do that with desktops either. I used to work in support for Dell. I've had some visibility of the engineering side too. When Intel comes out with a new chip they send samples to the big OEMs MONTHS in advance of when the new chip is released. It will be installed into test systems and used extensively for a long time, including in the real world by employees, before that ever sees the light.

 

[houkoholic]

After the disastrous SD810 overheating issue which plague the entire top end of all Android flagships I don't understand why anyone would still ask for unproven cutting edge SoCs.

 

[Blacklac]

After the disastrous SD810 overheating issue which plague the entire top end of all Android flagships I don't understand why anyone would still ask for unproven cutting edge SoCs.

Well, luckily one has the 808 which doesn't throttle nearly as much. It actually outperforms the 810 when throttling (for both) kicks in.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[trivishal]

Both Snapdragon 615 and 810 processors heat too much, throttle down upon heating and were produced only to compete MEDIATEK OCTA- CORE PROCESSORS in MID RANGE AND HIGH END PHONES. That's why Qualcomm hasn't pushed Snapdragon 610 and 808 processors much to OEMs, and LG started to use Snapdragon 808 processor and there is no news of Snapdragon 610 to be in use even after it's announcement more than a year ago

 

[MrOmkar]

Why all the talk about old Snapdragons when the basic reason is that new Snapdragon processors are 64 bit processors which I suppose Windows phone 8.1 doesn't support.

 

[heickelrrx]

By using cheaper chip they can use the remain cost to another feature.

Such as camera, screen, Qi wireless, battery, bus speed.

As you know all Lumias with Sd card at least support 64GBcard while newer got 128. Even 430 had 128GB support. While some low end android devices only capable with 32GB.

430 did have glance even Galaxy S5 didn't have glance. And 735 has Qi Wireless while Asus ZenPhone doesn't. Lumia 535 has 5FFC and Rear + IPS screen while Galaxy V use TFT screen. And 540 has 8MP Rear Zeis, 5FFC, IPS Screen with 5Inch on really cheap prices.

Even iPhone chip isn't very badass and only has 1GB ram but it run great.

It just the OS isn't resources hunger so there is no point using more expensive chip. It's way better add more fungtion on devices

 

[trivishal]

Using cheaper and older chips won't allow Microsoft Lumias to stay relevant in Smartphones though they can rest of the money in other poor quality hardware things

 

[a5cent]

Why all the talk about old Snapdragons when the basic reason is that new Snapdragon processors are 64 bit processors which I suppose Windows phone 8.1 doesn't support.

Every 64bit ARM SoC can run a 32bit OS and software. That's not a valid argument.

 

[colinkiama]

Let's end this thread now.
1) It save money since they are using an older chipset
2) They don't need to since these aren't any features in the OS yet that require new hardware.
3) For Microsoft to support new chipsets, they have to update the whole OS so that it can be optimised for them.
4) The reason why modern combat 5 is lagging is probably due to recent update. The iOS and android versions are using very new versions of openGL on the latest Phones whereas on windows, we are using the same modified direct x 11 since Windows phone 8. That's why their version looks better than ours. There was a benchmark on 2013/2014 which does that the 1520/930 were the best in game performance so a possible reason why the game is lagging is probably because of them not really optimising the game for the phone with that update. There are other games that are running well on the store with the flagship phones.

 

[Luckyonexcel]

I think Microsoft have reasons for still powering their devices with this old SD 2, 4 and so no. But yet, window performance is very impressive compared to other Android run on higher SD. No matter the SD a device is run no, we should understand that we are in a business world. I don't think Microsoft see the fastness and smoothness to no the SD, but instead the OS.

 

[trivishal]

For the time frame of Q3 and Q4 2015, Microsoft Mobile should use Snapdragon 610 processor in Lumia 740 and 840 optimized for Windows 10 Mobile just like what LG did with Snapdragon 808 processor. Latest hardware unused before but better than Octa core Snapdragon 615 and 810 processors in real life performance and no heating issues.

 

[farhan masood2]

In Pakistan lumia 535 the first cheapest lumia became the best seller in Pakistan but no one knows that the phone have out dated snapdragon 200 processor and touch issues but in Pakistan the only thing people need is speeds and front camera lollxxx.
but over all Microsoft knows the Pakistani market and designed lumia 535 ,435, 430 and 540

 

[pdplatypus]

The Lumia 540 could have been a good budget phone but I still consider it too expensive due to its inability for LTE and 1080p video capture and decoding. If it only has a Snapdragon 210, I could consider getting it.
There are tons of Android devices in the same price point that has these functions.

 

[trivishal]

The point is Microsoft is neglecting it's Lumia users so it releases phones with old Snapdragon processors. They can afford to build quality phones with latest Snapdragon processors but due to their no high priority support to the Windows phone users, they are repeating what Nokia was lately doing in 2014. Just see how LG came with latest Snapdragon 808 processor in LG which even was unknown to be launched with that Processor till just some weeks before launch. Other Android OEMs also did launched smartphones with latest processors ( Snapdragon 410 and 615) in low end and Mid range segments that came in IFA, 2014 in Berlin and MWC, 2015 but Microsoft decided to use old processor in Lumia 730, Lumia 830 and even in Lumia 640 and 540. Do you see my point?

 

[esackbauer]

Competition and Nerd factor is higher with Android devices. MS (ex-Nokia devision) simply does not need that and can focus on other things.
I would love to see a phone with a x86 processor instead of a snapdragon thing, so I think snapdragon and ARM will lead to a dead end.
I want to be able to have all my working desk with me, with all applications. Jsut plug your phone to a decent screen and with BT mouse and keyboard start working productive.

 

[Krystianpants]

Competition and Nerd factor is higher with Android devices. MS (ex-Nokia devision) simply does not need that and can focus on other things.
I would love to see a phone with a x86 processor instead of a snapdragon thing, so I think snapdragon and ARM will lead to a dead end.
I want to be able to have all my working desk with me, with all applications. Jsut plug your phone to a decent screen and with BT mouse and keyboard start working productive.

I believe that's why they have a two year plan. Next year they will release Intel chips. Intel still hasn't perfected the manufacturing process for their 10nm chips. These puppies will be small, drain way less battery and be super powerful.

 

[anon(50597)]

Amen to that. The new flagships coming out better be things of beauty with some really amazing things on offer design wise. Look at the latest galaxy (edge in particular) and the lg g4; they're beautiful. If MS releases a plain ol' slabs similar to icon, etc they will be doomed to failure right out of the gate. They definitely need a "wow factor."

Isn't the S6 edge failing in sales? It must not be impressing too many people.