Snapdragon 6s Gen 4: Qualcomm’s big midrange leap with 144Hz display and faster GPU

Qualcomm has quietly but confidently unveiled its new Snapdragon 6s Gen 4, aiming to redefine what midrange smartphones can deliver.

Building upon the foundation of the 6s Gen 3, this refreshed chipset focuses on raw performance, gaming stability, and modern connectivity – all packaged in a more power-efficient design.

Manufactured on Samsung’s 4nm process, the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4 (SM6435-AA) promises a solid 36% jump in CPU power and an impressive 59% improvement in GPU performance. Inside, the Kryo CPU combines four performance cores clocked up to 2.4GHz with four efficiency cores at 1.8GHz, ensuring a smooth multitasking and gaming experience without draining the battery too quickly. The GPU supports HDR gaming and features APIs like OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, and OpenCL 2.0 FP, bringing high-end visuals to the midrange class. Qualcomm also baked in Elite Gaming features such as Variable Rate Shading (VRS) and Game Quick Touch, which enhance responsiveness during fast-paced play.

The new chipset supports FHD+ 144Hz displays, ensuring buttery-smooth motion on compatible devices. Connectivity is future-ready with mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G plus Wi-Fi 6E, putting it nearly on par with upper-tier chips in terms of data speeds and network stability. Memory and storage performance also got an upgrade, with support for up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM running at 3200MHz and UFS 3.1 storage for fast app loading and file transfers.

On the imaging front, the integrated Qualcomm Spectra ISP supports up to 200MP sensors and 2K video recording at 30fps – a spec that was once limited to flagship-level processors. For multimedia enthusiasts, it includes Snapdragon Sound, Bluetooth 5.4, and Quick Charge 4+ for faster, cooler charging sessions.

Some tech fans are debating whether this is just a rebrand of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 rather than a true successor, especially given it remains on Samsung’s fabrication node instead of TSMC’s. Still, its performance uplift and newer gaming capabilities make it a strong contender for midrange smartphones launching in 2025 – especially if it’s priced competitively.