Phones. Why are eight smartphone processor cores better than four? Chinese smartphones 4 core

“The more cores in a processor, the better and more powerful it is” is a persistent myth spread by marketers and sellers of mobile equipment. However, it has nothing to do with reality.

For example, the 2016 performance leader iPhone 7 runs on a 4-core Apple A10 processor, the top chips from Snapdragon - 820 and 825, also have 4 cores, while among MediaTek processors, whose gaming performance is traditionally not the best, already 10-core solutions have appeared (Helio X30) and 12-core chips will appear soon.

Who's who in the processor market?

The vast majority of smartphones are produced on processors from Qualcomm and MediaTek. Industry giants – Apple, Samsung and Huawei – develop and use their own chips, but they can only be found in smartphones from these companies. Also, ultra-budget gadgets sometimes use Spreadtrum processors, but, for obvious reasons, they cannot compete with chips from leading manufacturers.

If we compare Qualcomm and MediaTek chips, the latter are inferior in terms of their overall characteristics. The weak point of MTK has always been its mediocre graphics performance due to the use of Mali video accelerators. Thus, even smartphones with top chips like Helio P20 often perform worse in 3D games (graphics rendering, micro-freezes and FPS drops) than devices running on middling Snapdragon 625 and 652.

However, the key advantage of MediaTek products is their lower cost. We owe it to MTK chips that even budget smartphones have now turned into glitch-free devices that can be used comfortably. MKT processors are not gaming, but in terms of smoothness and speed of smartphone operation, power consumption, multimedia and wireless functions, they are no worse. And if you don’t play heavy 3D games on your phone, then you most likely won’t notice the difference between the Snapdragon and MediaTek processors.

Octa-core smartphones with Snapdragon processors

All 8-core processors presented in the rating are created using the 28 nm process technology and have ARMv8 architecture; these are mid-class chips used in the corresponding smartphones. There are no flagship devices in this selection; top devices run on 820 and 821 dragons.

Snapdragon 430 – Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Nokia 6

Redmi 3S– one of the best-selling smartphones of last year. This is an excellent budget phone that will not lose its relevance in the near future, even though it has been replaced by the 4th generation of Redmi. The gadget is equipped with 16/2 GB of expandable memory, a high-quality 5-inch screen and a capacious 4100 mAh battery, from which the smartphone can last 2-3 days without any problems. In Antutu, Benchmark 3S scores 42 thousand parrots. Price – from 8000 rubles.

Nokia 6– the first smartphone of the once cult manufacturer on the Android platform. It was the use of the 430-dragon in a device for $250 that many did not like, but Nokia 6 takes the cake: it has a flagship design and very high-quality build, a cool main camera and a good amount of memory - 64/4 GB + MicroSD slot. The result in Antutu is 44 thousand parrots. Nokia 6 is not supplied to Russia and the smartphone can only be purchased in Chinese online stores.

Snapdragon 617 – Moto G4 and Alcatel Idol 4

Moto G4– a mid-range model with a large high-quality screen (IPS 5.5’’ FHD), 16/2 GB of expandable memory, 13/5 MP cameras and a 3000 mAh battery. In terms of characteristics, there is nothing outstanding, but Motorola’s attention to detail does its job and the G4 can be called one of the most pleasant smartphones to use in its price category. The result in Benchmark is 45 thousand parrots. Price – from 15 thousand rubles.

Alcatel Idol 4- a flagship at an adequate price, in which the main emphasis is not on performance (16/3 GB of memory + Micro-SD), but on multimedia capabilities. Idol 4 boasts an excellent 5.2’’ FHD IPS screen (the older version 4S comes with a virtual reality helmet), high-quality stereo speakers with an amplifier and a dedicated audio chip, which ensures high-quality music playback in headphones. The weak point of the smartphone is the battery; it is only 2610 mAh. The result in Benchmark is 46 thousand parrots. Price – from 14 thousand rubles.

Snapdragon 625 – Huawei Nova and Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

Huawei Nova– one of the few Huawei smartphones running on a Snapdragon chip, and not on a proprietary HiSilicon Kirin processor. This is a compact model with a 5’’ FHD IPS screen and 32/3 GB of memory, the main features of which are a cool design and a good 13 MP camera, one of the best in its price category. The result in Benchmark is 64 thousand parrots. Cost – from 20 thousand rubles.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime– the successor to the popular Redmi 3S came out in 3 modifications at once, the most interesting of which is the Prime version with a 625-dragon, 32/3 GB of memory and a 5’’ FHD screen. This is one of the best mid-rangers in terms of price/quality ratio with good gaming performance (benchmark - 65 thousand) and impressive battery life (a confident 2-3 days on a single charge). Cost – from 10 thousand rubles.

Snapdragon 652 – Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra, LG G5 SE

Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra– a flagship tablet phone for those who are not chasing record performance. Powered by a fresh 652-dragon, the ZF3 Ultra has a lot of memory - 64/3 or 128/4 GB with expandable cards up to 1 TB, a cool 23 MP camera with optical stabilization and laser autofocus, as well as a thick 4600 mAh battery. However, the main advantage of the smartphone is its huge 6.8’’ FHD IPS screen, ideal for consuming any media content. The result in the benchmark is 78 thousand parrots. Price – from 37 thousand rubles.

LG G5 SE– a junior version of the flagship from LG, differing from the G5 solely by the use of a 652-dragon instead of an 820. This is an unusual modular smartphone with the ability to connect additional accessories, including a dedicated DAC, a photo module with optical zoom and an additional battery. The G5 SE is also interesting in terms of characteristics - 2K 5.3’’ IPS screen, 32/3 GB of memory + flash drives up to 2 TB, dual camera 18+8 MP and front module 8 MP, removable battery 2800 mAh. Benchmark – 79 thousand parrots. Price – from 24 thousand rubles.

Snapdragon 810 – Nexus 6P and Moto X Force

Nexus 6P- the last of the Nexuses released, after which the corporation concentrated on developing its Google Pixel. The device is notable for its pure Android, stereo speakers, for a long time battery life and excellent hardware - 5.7’’ FHD AMOLED screen, 34/64/128 GB of memory and 3 GB of RAM, 3540 mAh battery, 12 and 8 MP cameras. The result in the benchmark is 85 thousand parrots. Price – from 30 thousand rubles.

Moto X Force- a unique smartphone whose screen (according to the manufacturer) cannot be broken. Able to survive any falls and merciless use, the X Force does not disappoint in terms of hardware either - 2K 5.4’’ AMOLED screen, 32/3 GB of memory, 21 MP camera and 3760 mAh battery. This is a balanced device, with characteristics slightly inferior to current flagships, which is considered one of best smartphones released by the MOTO brand for Lately. Benchmark – 75 thousand parrots. Price – from 37 thousand rubles.

8-core smartphones with MediaTek processors

It was MediaTek that launched the first 8-core processor for smartphones on the market in 2013 - MT6592. Today, the most popular eights are MT6753, MT6750 and Helio P10, made using a 28 nm process technology. Let's look at the most successful smartphones with 8 core MediTek processors.

MediaTek MT6753 – Lenovo Vibe X3 Lite and Ulefone Power

Vibe X3 Lite– the junior version of the flagship X3 from Lenovo, characterized by balanced characteristics and affordable price. On board the gadget is 32/2 GB of memory + a slot for Micro-SD, a 5.5’’ FHD IPS screen, 13/8 MP cameras and a 3300 mAh battery. The device is notable primarily for its powerful stereo speakers, but its gaming performance is not the best; in the X3 Lite Benchmark it scores only 37 thousand parrots. Price – from 11 thousand rubles.

Ulefone Power– Chinese with a huge 6050 mAh battery, 5.5’’ FHD IPS screen, 16/3 GB of memory and 13/5 MP cameras. At first glance, nothing outstanding, but on one charge this gadget can work for 3-4 days, which makes it an excellent choice for those who do not want to depend on an outlet. Benchmark – 32 thousand parrots. Price – 9 thousand rubles on AliExpress.

MediaTek MT6750 – Meizu M3s and Bluboo Maya MAX

Meizu M3s is a popular budget phone with Meizu’s traditional ideal build quality and good characteristics for its price (7 thousand rubles): 5’’ HD IPS screen, 16/2 GB of memory, 13/5 MP cameras, 3020 mAh battery. The smartphone is made in a metal case, it is compact, fits comfortably in the hand and pleases with fast operation due to the well-optimized Flyme shell. Benchmark – 37 thousand parrots.

Bluboo Maya MAX– the older version of the popular ultra-budget phone from Bluboo, notable for its metal body, the presence of a fingerprint scanner and very good hardware. On board the smartphone is a 6-inch HD IPS screen, 32/3 GB of memory, 13/8 MP cameras and a 4200 mAh battery. Among the nice little things are USB-C support and IP63 waterproofing. Benchmark – 41 thousand parrots. Price – from 9 thousand rubles on AliExpress.

MediaTek Helio P10 – Meizu M5 Note and SONY Xperia XA

Meizu M5 Note– one of the most attractive smartphones from Meizu in terms of price/quality ratio. For a little over 10 thousand rubles you get a device with a 5.5’’ FHD IPS screen, 16/32 + 3 GB of memory and a slot for a flash drive, a cool camera and a 4000 mAh battery. In the Benchmark, the gadget scores 47 thousand parrots; you can play even the most demanding 3D games on it at medium graphics settings.

SONY Xperia XA– an elegant smartphone with a frameless screen that you can fall in love with at first sight. Characteristics – 5’’ HD IPS screen, 16/2 GB memory + Micro-SD, 16/8 MP cameras and 2300 mAh battery. Advantages: the presence of an NFC module and good photo quality. Disadvantages are the lack of oleophobic coating on the screen and the ridiculous battery capacity. Benchmark – 47 thousand parrots. Price – from 16 thousand rubles.

8-core smartphones with Exynos processors

The latest generation of Exynos chipsets from Samsung can be considered the most technologically advanced 8-core processors on the market. The Korean company makes its chips using the 14 nm process and uses them only in the production of its own devices. The exception is Meizu Pro 6 Plus, which was released on a processor similar to that used in the Galaxy S7.

Exynos 7880 – Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2017)

The 2017 Galaxy A line smartphones look as close as possible to the flagship Galaxy S7. These are beautiful devices in a ceramic case with moisture protection according to the IP68 standard. Smartphones run on the same chipsets but differ in some characteristics.

Galaxy A5 has a 5.2’’ FHD Super AMOLED screen, 32/3 GB of memory with support for flash drives up to 256 GB, cameras with a resolution of 16 MP (both main and front), and a 3000 mAh battery. The older version of the Galaxy A7 has a larger screen diagonal – 5.7’’ and a thicker battery – 3600 mAh. Both devices have an NFC chip and full Samsung Pay support.

Smartphones have an attractive design, cool cameras, good battery life, but at the same time they do not impress with gaming performance. In the benchmark, both devices score 60 thousand parrots. Price – 33 and 28 thousand rubles for A7 and A5, respectively.

Exynos 8890 – Galasy S7 and S7 Edge, Meizu Pro 6 Plus

Galasy S7 and S7 Edge– the 2016 flagships from Samsung are successful, no matter how you look at them, confirmation of this can be found in the huge demand for both smartphone models. Specifications the regular and Edge versions are identical - 5.1’’ SuperAMOLED screen with 2K resolution, covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, 32/64 GB of built-in and 4 GB random access memory with support for flash drives up to 200 GB, a 3000 mAh battery with fast charging, and 12 and 5 MP cameras, which are among the best on the market. The result in the benchmark is 131 thousand parrots. Price – from 44 thousand rubles for S7 and from 54 thousand for S7 Edge.

Meizu Pro 6 Plus is the only flagship of the Chinese company on the Exynos 8890 chip. The main trump cards of the Pro 6 Plus are great sound in headphones (there is a dedicated DAC and amplifier) ​​and a cool camera that can compete with A-brands. The device is good in terms of hardware (2K Super AMOLED screen, 64/4 GB of memory, 3400 mAh battery), has excellent build quality and excellent performance. The only disappointment is the lack of a slot for a memory card. The result in the benchmark is 113 thousand parrots. Price – from 35 thousand rubles.

Octa-core smartphones with HiSilicon Kirin processors

Kirin chipsets are developed by Huawei and are used exclusively in smartphones from this company.

Honor 8 with Kirin 950

Honor 8 is one of the most beautiful smartphones of 2016. The ceramic body of the device is visually impressive, but disappointing in practice due to its increased susceptibility to scratches. According to the characteristics, Honor 8 stands at the level between mid-rangers and flagships - 5.2'' FHD IPS screen, 32/64 GB of internal memory and 4 GB of RAM with expandability, dual 12 MP camera and 5 MP front camera, 3000 mAh battery, NFC . Among the shortcomings, we note only mediocre battery life and a quiet main speaker; in all other respects, Honor 8 is extremely good. The result in the benchmark is 95 thousand parrots. Price – from 27 thousand rubles.

Huawei Mate 9 with Kirin 960

Mate 9 is the flagship from Huawei, the company’s most expensive and most powerful smartphone. The characteristics of the device speak for themselves - standard 5.9'' FHD IPS screen, dual 20+12 MP camera with 2x optical zoom, optical stabilization and phase detection autofocus, 64+4 GB of memory with a slot for a flash drive and a 4000 mAh battery . The result in the benchmark is 128 thousand parrots. Price – from 47 thousand rubles.

For those who are interested in luxury 8-core smartphones , We recommend paying attention to Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Design. This gadget costs 1,400 euros, for this money you get a device in a unique design with a 2K AMOLED screen, 256 GB of main and 6 GB of RAM and cameras developed by Leica. There are simply no alternatives to this model in the range of other A-brands.

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