SoC, or system on a chip, is a core component of every modern smartphone, though it is the amalgamation of many technologies. The purpose of this article is to give you a basic understanding of the capabilities of modern smartphone SoCs and the current state of the “mobile processor” market.
The ultimate goal is to help you, the consumer, use this (and other) information to help you choose your next smartphone. The goal here is not to delve into the operation of a smartphone SoC, nor is it to satisfy the curiosity of an already well-informed tech enthusiast.
Instead, our goal is to provide the average smartphone buyer with as much information as possible to help you choose the best smartphone for your use case. At the risk of sounding repetitive, the idea is to help you know enough to make an informed purchase.
This central article will link to several other articles on smartphone SoCs where we compare, introduce and discuss specific models in detail.
summarize
Experienced smartphone enthusiasts often scoff at the word “processor” and will tell you that SoC (short for system on a chip) or “chipset” are more appropriate terms. In the end, you just need to know that a smartphone’s “processor,” “SoC,” and “chipset” (in most cases) refer to the same entity, though those terms aren’t entirely accurate.
The term “processor” is often used to refer to the central processing unit used in desktop computers. Modern SoCs also have a central processing unit/processor, but this is only one of many components that make up an SoC.
So the answer you’re looking for is this: While SoCs and processors are not the same thing in practice, over time it has become acceptable to refer to SoCs as processors or chipsets. I know this can be frustratingly confusing.
The most common answer you’re likely to hear usually equates the SoC to the human brain. I disagree. A more accurate way to understand what a SoC is is not to think of it as a brain, but as a skull.
Yes, you are not mistaken. I know this example is weird, but it’s easier to imagine your head as the SoC and your brain (in the head) as the CPU. Just like your head contains many other parts, a SoC contains various components, many of which help offload the processor and make it more efficient.
Check out the diagram below to visualize all the components that make up a modern SoC.
Components of a modern SoC. We use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as an example / © Qualcomm
You can also think of the SoC as the most critical part of a modern smartphone. It works effectively as a unit, taking care of nearly every task you ask your smartphone to perform.
Whether it’s relatively mundane things like making and receiving phone calls, or something more complex in nature like taking photos and videos with a camera and then editing and rendering the final result with an editing application.
Another name you may have heard for a smartphone SoC is “ARM.” All you need to know is that ARM is a British company that licenses the ARM architecture, instruction set, and processor core designs, which are used by all companies that make SoCs.
No matter what brand of smartphone you buy and what SoC you use, it is obviously based on the ARM architecture.
When you read articles about smartphone launches, you hear a lot about ARM, especially when you read the parts that mention SoC specifications. For example, these articles highlight the type of ARM Cortex core used by a particular SoC.
All modern smartphones are based on the ARM architecture. / © ARM
Bonus information: Interestingly, major SoC makers such as Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Huawei, and UNISOC do not actually produce SoCs in their own factories. Instead, they outsource the task to companies that specialize in semiconductor manufacturing, such as TSMC, Globalfoundries, and SMIC.
Samsung is the only smartphone SoC maker on the above list that has the capability to design its own ARM-based SoC and manufacture it in-house.
A typical modern smartphone SoC usually contains the following components.
central processing unit (CPU)
The most important component of a modern smartphone, the CPU, is the brain of the smartphone. A smartphone’s CPU typically has multiple cores, and its performance is measured in gigahertz (GHz).
When we tech journalists talk about smartphone performance, we often use terms like “Kryo CPU” or “Cortex-A77”. This is the name of the processor core located in the SoC. We’ll learn more about smartphone cores and processors in another article.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
While a CPU can multitask, it wasn’t specifically designed to handle graphics. Since most of today’s smartphones have to handle very demanding games (and video content), this task is taken care of by a dedicated GPU.
Performance of the Adreno GPU powering the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / © Qualcomm
You’ll hear a lot about GPUs in smartphone reviews. Qualcomm SoCs typically use their own Adreno-branded GPUs, while other SoC makers stick with ARM Mali or PowerVR GPUs.
Image Processing Unit (ISP)
Modern smartphones usually have a separate image processing unit. This basically allows them to “convert” the data from the image sensor into a usable photo that you can then edit and share with friends and family.
In the past, the processor was also responsible for this task. But manufacturers quickly realized that it was always better to delegate these tasks to a separate image processing unit. The names you’ll come across for ISPs are “Spectra” from Qualcomm and “Imagiq” from MediaTek.
built-in modem
Modern smartphones are communication devices, and the modem is the most important component for this basic function. Modems are used to convert wireless signals into data that smartphones can understand.
Today’s smartphone modems combine 5G, 4G, 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities into a single unit. While most smartphone SoCs today have an integrated modem, there are some exceptions.
Recent examples include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen and the Apple A16 Bionic, which use the same external modem: the Snapdragon X70. “External” means that the modem is not part of the SoC.
Snapdragon X70 modem used in Qualcomm’s iPhone 14 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / © Qualcomm
Not all SoC brands tend to have names for their modems. The notable exception is Qualcomm, which typically designates its modems using the letter X followed by a number. For example, the company’s latest 5G modem is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70.
MediaTek, HiSilicon, and Samsung don’t usually mention the “brand name” of the modem in their spec sheets, and generally don’t name them.
Recently, however, MediaTek caused a stir by announcing its first mmWave-capable 5G modem and dubbing it the MediaTek M80 5G Modem. The brand name of HiSilicon modems is “Balong”. However, even on the official website, you will rarely see this name.
other components
While these four components are essential, modern SoCs also contain other elements. For example, a digital signal processor (DSP) is often used to handle tasks such as analyzing data from onboard sensors, and sometimes even to help play music.
With artificial intelligence and machine learning being touted as the next big thing, it’s not uncommon for smartphone SoCs to incorporate dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) custom-built to handle these tasks.
Other Points: Manufacturing Process
When reading SoC specifications, a term you’ll often come across is “manufacturing process,” expressed in nanometers (nm). The simplest explanation is to tell you that the manufacturing process is a number used to understand the size of the internal nodes of the SoC.
We could write an academic paper on the manufacturing process and semiconductor manufacturing process, but that’s beyond the scope of this article. What you need to understand as a consumer is that the smaller the manufacturing process, the more complex, expensive and energy efficient the SoC.
Current high-end SoCs are based on a 4nm manufacturing process, while 2021 flagship SoCs are etched in 5nm. Mid-range and cheap SoCs are usually engraved in 7, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 28 nm.
The major players in the smartphone SoC segment are the following companies:
- apple
- Qualcomm
- MediaTek
- Samsung
- Hisilicon
- UNISOC
Below is a brief overview of each SoC brand’s offerings.
apple
Since Apple doesn’t need different SoCs for multiple devices, it typically releases only one smartphone SoC per year. Until 2010, Apple’s iPhones and iPads relied on Samsung’s SoCs. Since then, however, the company has developed its own ARM-based SoCs. The first SoC designed by Apple was the Apple A4, which debuted in 2010.
Thirteen years later, Apple’s latest smartphone SoC is called the Apple A16 Bionic and is used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is widely regarded as the most powerful SoC currently available for smartphones.
Apple uses its own custom ARM SoC to…