Qualcomm launched its entry-level 5G chipset in May 2026 with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5. It was unveiled five months after the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, which was announced in December 2025. On paper, the naming suggests a generation bump, but there are some hidden downgrades. We have compared the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 4 across the CPU and GPU to understand what actually changed between the two chips.
Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 4 Gen 4: CPU
The CPU is where things have changed the least. Both the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 4 use the same octa-core Kryo CPU. They feature two Cortex-A78 performance cores and six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 has raised the frequency of its two prime cores from 2.3 GHz to 2.4 GHz, while the six efficiency cores stay at 2.0 GHz on both chips.
That is the only CPU change in both chipsets. There is no architectural change or upgrade to newer cores, as we have noted in our Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 benchmark article.
An early leaked Geekbench 6 listing show that the Oppo A7 Pro Max, powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5, scored 976 in single-core and 2,250 in multi-core. And as we mentioned in our Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 benchmark, the older chip achieved 930 and 2,210 in the same test.
That is just a 5% gap in single-core and a barely 2% in multi-core. To put it simply, as far as the CPU is concerned, both the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 and 4 Gen 4 perform along the same lines.
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Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 4 Gen 4: GPU
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 shipped with the Adreno 613 GPU, which was clocked at 955 MHz to handle everyday games but it was never a chip for gaming. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 brings in a fresh Adreno 629 GPU, which is a whopping 77% faster than the 4 Gen 4's GPU.
The best part is that the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 supports 90FPS gaming, which is something new to the 4-series. Budget buyers in this price bracket have been capped at 60FPS, so this is a welcome change.
Note that this is Qualcomm's own figure so wait for our benchmark testing. The real-world performance depends on thermals, memory bandwidth and each phone's implementation. Nevertheless, a 77% jump is a huge uplift for an entry-level chipset.
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Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 4 Gen 4: Memory and Storage
In the memory and storage department, Qualcomm has gone backwards. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 supported LPDDR5 memory up to 3,200 MHz (along with LPDDR4X). Surprisingly, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 drops support for LPDDR5 and only supports LPDDR4X memory up to 2,133 MHz. It means you are going to get slower memory speeds on the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5.
As for storage, both chipsets support UFS 3.1 standard. This matters because a faster GPU is only as useful as the data you can feed it. Slower memory can reduce gaming and multitasking gains that this chip is bringing. The likely culprit is the wider memory crisis rather than anything technical.
In fact, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is not alone here, as we saw in our Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 benchmark, its memory is supported till LPDDR4X only. The USB port is also downgraded. It drops from USB 3.2 Gen 1 on the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 to USB 2.0 on the 4 Gen 5, which means slower wired file transfers.
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Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 4 Gen 4: Everyday Improvements
On the software side, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 is the first 4-series chip to get Qualcomm's Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI. The company says it delivers 43% faster app launches and 25% less screen stutter against the Gen 4. Along with that, it delivers a 10% improvement in power efficiency.
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Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 vs Snapdragon 4 Gen 4: Specs
| Specification | Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 | Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 4nm | 4nm |
| CPU | Octa-core Kryo CPU | Octa-core Kryo CPU |
| CPU Cores | 2x Cortex-A78 at 2.4 GHz, 6x Cortex-A55 at 2.0 GHz | 2x Cortex-A78 at 2.3 GHz, 6x Cortex-A55 at 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 629, Up to 77% faster, 90FPS gaming | Adreno 613 |
| ISP | Dual 12-bit Spectra, up to 108MP | Dual 12-bit Spectra, up to 108MP |
| Memory | LPDDR4X up to 2,133 MHz | LPDDR5 up to 3,200 MHz |
| Storage | UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 |
| Modem | Sub-6GHz 5G, peak download up to 2.8 Gbps, peak upload up to 900 Mbps, 5G/4G DSDA | Sub-6GHz 5G, peak download up to 2.5 Gbps, peak upload up to 900 Mbps |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 |
On paper, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 looks like a GPU refresh rather than a generational upgrade. It brings a 77% faster Adreno GPU and 90FPS gaming support. Apart from that, you get Smooth Motion UI, 144Hz display support and 5G/4G DSDA that improve the everyday experience.
The catch is that the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 wins a couple of rounds as well despite being an older chip. Its LPDDR5 support gives it faster memory and brings a USB 3.2 port. The CPU, meanwhile, is effectively a draw. We will update this comparison with full benchmark numbers the moment we get access to a Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 phone, so stay tuned.
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