The LG G4 uses a Snapdragon 808, a small step down from the Snapdragon 810. Sarah Tew/CNET
Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 810 chip has had a rough start since it hit the market early this year, with Samsung dumping the processor from its flagship Galaxy S6 and persistent rumors that the chip overheats.
With all that negativity surrounding the 810, industry observers can't be blamed for wondering why LG -- after using the 810 in its G Flex 2 smartphone -- decided to use Qualcomm's slightly lesser Snapdragon 808 in its G4 smartphone, which was unveiled Tuesday.
However, the decision to go with the 808 was settled well before the 810 dustup began, Tim McDonough, Qualcomm's head of marketing, said in an interview, as he sought to allay any concerns that LG was walking away from the 810.
"The decisions on which chipsets to put on which handsets come from over a year ago," said McDonough, who refuted the overheating rumors about the 810, as Qualcomm executives have done before.
The 810 remains an important chip for Qualcomm, so the company wants to avoid the appearance that LG -- a major partner -- is moving away from the 810. Showing just how significant the 810 is to Qualcomm's current cycle of new handsets, the company came out with a statement in February that included half a dozen major handset makers -- including Microsoft, Motorola Mobility, LG and Sony -- offering their support for the 810 and saying they will use it in upcoming devices.
Qualcomm's comments also show how the company is trying to do more and respond faster to rumors and potential bad news about its latest chip designs. The world's largest mobile-chip maker, whose chips are used in Apple's iPhone and Sony's Xperia line, was slower to respond to the overheating rumors. By the time Qualcomm addressed them, the rumors had already become a part of the 810's narrative.
The 810 and 808, introduced at the same time last year, are very similar, reaching the top-tier of Qualcomm's chip line. One notable difference, though, is the 810 has a speedier octa-core processor while the 808 has a six-core processor. Also, the 810 has more ultra-HD video capabilities and a different Adreno graphics chips.
"They're very much cut from the same cloth," McDonough said of the two chips.
So, why the 808?
McDonough said a lot of the decision on the 808 had to do with schedules. The 810 would be available first, so was chosen for the G Flex 2, which was introduced in January. LG then had the option to pick between the 810 or the 808 for the G4, which is the first smartphone introduced using an 808.
Although McDonough declined to discuss pricing for the G4, the 808 is a less expensive chip than the 810. So, while LG opted for Qualcomm's highest-end chip for the curved-screen G Flex 2 -- a more experimental, lower volume device -- it will have more flexibility on pricing the G4 thanks to the 808. That flexibility will allow LG to either pocket more profit or reduce the cost to consumers so it can make the G4 more appealing to a mass market audience.
Although Qualcomm hasn't spoken much about the 808 up until now -- focusing on the higher-end 810 instead -- it said more devices using the 808 should be coming later this year.
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