Why Do So Many Hyped Mobile Processor Features Go Unused?
The date of：
2022-01-11
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If there’s one thing that helps refresh my smartphone excitement meter every year, it’s a new systemon a chip (SoC). As the brain of your smartphone, new SoC features can revolutionize the way youuse your handset, from the introduction of multiple cameras and machine learning smarts to 5Gnetworking and better gaming frame rates. Plus much more, of course.However, many promised SoC features — even those that are now several years old — are yet to maketheir way to consumer handsets. There are a few reasons for this, such as manufacturer prioritiesand the need for wider market adoption, but either way, recent smartphone chipsets have seldomlived up to their full potential. This is obviously something to consider when mulling over a potentialpurchase and when following chipset hype more generally.There’s quite a long list of potential features we’re yet to see, so let’s narrow it down to a few of themore promising-sounding ones from recent years.Photography and video features have been a regular area of ups and downs. For example, 2020’sQualcomm Snapdragon 888 promised simultaneous capture from several cameras, 4K capture fromtwo or more cameras, and unlimited 960fps video. While one or two phones may have experimentedwith these features, they were far from the mainstays of 2021’s flagship smartphone market.Qualcomm has pointed out to us that there’s no cost barrier to implementing its showcase SoCfeatures — it’s up to product partners to choose to implement them. It’s worth noting that camerahardware and software applications have to be built with these features in mind. However, even itsown Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders failed to maximize the potential of the company’s camera2021 smartphone mega shootout: The year’s best camera phones testedSimilarly, AV1 video decoding was absent from Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series, despite support inSamsung’s Exynos 2100 chipset, to keep product parity with Qualcomm. We saw similarcompromises with Galaxy S10 8K video recording, with the Exynos 9820 offering support ahead ofQualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 — although 8K video is not much more widely supported in the flagshipYou might also remember the MediaTek Dimensity 1200’s software ray tracing and 168Hz displaysupport that are yet to be found in a mainstream smartphone. Then there are GPU driver updates andgame optimizations via Google Play, a Qualcomm idea unveiled in 2019 — another awesome feature,in principle. However, the tangible benefits are yet to be felt for most consumers and the list ofsupported devices remains woefully thin on the ground. These examples are clearly a case of lowerpriority features for product manufacturers, as they offer minimal differentiation for consumers, at“Manufacturers seldom leverage the absolute best SoC capabilities available, making it harder to feelexcited about next-gen possibilities.”Then there are examples of technology that requires additional product support, such as inaccessories. The long-awaited arrival of aptX Adaptive and Bluetooth LE Audio are examples wherewe’re still waiting for headphones and speakers to fill in the missing pieces. Similarly, we could saythe same thing about Wi-Fi 6E routers and mobile games that make use of the latest and greatestrendering techniques. So we can’t always blame the manufacturers for features we can’t use —sometimes early support is essential to encourage broader adoption.Even so, there’s an ever-growing list of SoC-powered features that we’ve heard plenty about but havenever actually laid hands on. And that’s without mentioning the countless augmented reality, 5G, andother emerging use cases hype trains that have come and gone over the past few years. With few ofthe best SoC features being used widely, it’s becoming harder and harder to feel excited about nextgen possibilities. I’d certainly like to see far more manufacturers embrace the latest and greatestSoC capabilities on offer, as it would certainly help reinvigorate the flagship and mid-tiers of theOf course, not every SoC feature is destined to revolutionize the way we use our phones. The moresteady march of enhancements is still a welcome one and we’ve certainly seen plenty of examples ofthis in recent years. Gradual improving image quality, machine learning enhancements, and gamingperformance have definitely made recent smartphones more capable and powerful than ever before,even if we’ve not quite seen devices push the boundaries in every direction at once.For instance, leveraging the Snapdragon 888’s AI zoom capabilities and simultaneous multi-camerarecording saw the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra go beyond the features you find in other smartphone camerapackages. And, of course, gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone 5 offer optimized performancemodes, stereo audio, a high-end DAC, and fast charging features you won’t necessarily find on manyother phones. Sadly though, we’re yet to see a phone that combines all this, and more, into a singleDespite not maximizing existing SoC capabilities, product manufacturers are increasingly turning tocustom hardware for product differentiation. Case in point, the Google Tensor SoC inside the Pixel 6series might not have all the bells, whistles, or even peak potential of its latest rivals. However, it isbuilt to power some quite specific use cases and Google is leveraging those to create some uniqueexperiences with its latest smartphones. Features like Magic Eraser and real-time on-device voicedictation are powerful and impressive new features with tangible benefits. Likewise, Chinese OEMsOppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have developed custom image signal processors in the pursuit of industryleading imaging capabilities and features.“I’m eager to see what’s coming with next-gen SoCs, but recent launches have tempered myTurning to next-gen SoCs, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Dimensity 9000, there’s clearly morepotential than ever before thanks to improved performance, AI, and imaging smarts in particular. I’meager to see what manufacturers can do with next-gen SoCs but recent launches and trends towardscustom hardware have tempered my expectations for 2022’s flagship launches. The technology isalready there, it’s just up to manufacturers to integrate these features into compelling use cases forflagship and other less expensive smartphones. Hopefully, we’ll all be pleasantly surprised.
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