Snapdragon 720G Review & Benchmark Tests

Are you looking to buy a Snapdragon 720G device and want to see its comparison against the Helio G90T and Snapdragon 730G?

Well, then you’ve come to the right place.

Snapdragon 720G is another one of those chips whose naming doesn’t make any sense. Don’t let the product SKU name make you believe that the 720G’s performance lies in between the 710 & 730 because that’s not the case.

In fact, the performance numbers of 720G fall in the same territory as the Snapdragon 730/730G.

Qualcomm did the same thing with Snapdragon 665 even though its overall performance was only as good as a regular 660.

The Snapdragon 720G & 730G:

  • Have similar underlying CPU architecture (Semi-Custom Cortex-A76 & Cortex-A55)
  • Are fabricated on the same process node (Samsung’s 8nm LPP)
  • Have the same GPU (Adreno 618)
  • Use the same Modem (X15 LTE)

But what makes them different is the CPU/GPU Frequencies, Signal Processor, ISP, and Connectivity features.

And talking of connectivity, the new 720G supports NavIC which is an Indian Satellite Navigation System built by ISRO. Also, it supports the new Bluetooth v5.1.

So, how well does this SOC actually performs in the real-world scenario and how well does it compete against the G90T & 730G?

Let’s find out.

But for those of you’re who are in a hurry, here’s the deal:

Spoiler: Snapdragon 720G is on par with the Snapdragon 730 when considering the overall performance based on synthetic tests, real-world use case, gaming & power-efficiency. It defeats G90T in CPU Performance & Power Efficiency but loses in GPU Performance by a narrow margin. Snapdragon 730G is the fastest in this group due to its faster GPU clock speeds.

    Snapdragon 720G Specification

Name Snapdragon 720G
Codename SM7125
Brand Qualcomm
Fabrication Process Samsung’s 8nm LPP
CPU Cores 8 (Octa-Core)
Core Configuration 2x Kryo 465 Gold at 2.3 GHz + 6x Kryo 465 Silver at 1.8 GHz
GPU Adreno 618
Max. Display Resolution Full HD+
Memory Dual-channel LPDDR4x
DSP Hexagon 692
Modem X15 LTE
VoLTE Support Yes, Dual VoLTE
NavIC Support Yes
Bluetooth version 5.1
Fast Charging Quickcharge 4.0
Camera ISP Spectra 350L
Max Camera 192 Megapixels

This SOC is manufactured using Samsung’s 8nm LPP Process which is an extension to their 10nm LPP process. As you can see in this article, the transistor density of 8nm isn’t a big jump from 10nm.

The 8nm LPP process allows 10% better power efficiency & a 10% reduction in die size at the same performance as compared to 10nm LPP.

Remember, the nm values in the present day are nothing more than a marketing gimmick. Samsung’s 7nm EUV Process is far superior even though the difference is naming is just ‘1 nm’. In short, Samsung’s 8nm is closer to their 10nm than it is to their 7nm EUV.

Nevertheless, it is still an excellent node for a mid-range/high-end Smartphone SOC. The Snapdragon 730/730G also uses the same process node.

When compared to the TSMC’s 12nm Process which was used in Helio G90T, it is 2x Denser with exceptionally better Power Efficiency & Performance. Remember, TSMC’s 12nm Process is a refinement of the 16nm Process and it is not anywhere close to 10nm.

Using a significantly older Fabrication Node is one of the primary reasons why the Helio G90T is unable to beat Snapdragon 730G/720G in our rankings.

If the Helio G90T was manufactured using a better fabrication process, it would have easily hit similar frequencies without sacrificing power-efficiency and would have crushed the 720G/730G with ease.

CPU & GPU

Snapdragon 720G uses a 2+6 Core Configuration with two ‘High-Power’ Kryo 465 Gold Cores that are based on ARM’s Cortex-A76 architecture. The six ‘power-efficient’ cores are named Kryo 465 Silver and these are based on Cortex-A55.

This is a similar configuration as the 2+6 Kryo 470 Configuration on Snapdragon 730G/730 as the underlying architecture is still Cortex-A76 & Cortex-A55. But the IPC of Kryo 470 is slightly higher than Kryo 465. But that minor increase in IPC isn’t as significant as the 100 MHz clock speed boost on 720G.

In short, Snapdragon 720G has a slightly better CPU Performance (around 3-5%) than the 730/730G but that extra clock speed also results in slightly lower efficiency (less than 5%).

Coming to the GPU side, we have the Adreno 618 that we have already tested with Snapdragon 730/730G. The GPU performance is similar to that of 730 but 730G takes the lead here due to its higher GPU frequency.

Connectivity

It uses the same X15 LTE Modem which has download speeds up to 800 Mbps. Dual VoLTE is also supported by this modem.

We have two new features on the connectivity side:

  • NavIC
  • Bluetooth 5.1

    Benchmark Scores

Just like I say in every review, I perform synthetic benchmarks just because of the user requests. These scores are not always realistic and don’t factor in real-world performance.

Antutu

Snapdragon 720G Antutu Benchmark

On Antutu, Snapdragon 720G does an excellent job and even outperforms the Snapdragon 730G. The Realme 6 Pro has scored 276,146 points while the Poco X2 has scored 272,643. Redmi Note 8 Pro is at the top with 281,566 points.

GeekBench 5

720G Geekbench 5

On Geekbench 5 Single-Threaded tests, Snapdragon 720G does a commendable job by scoring the highest in its price category. However, the Snapdragon 730G takes the lead on the Multi-Threaded test.

Helio G90T has a lower score here due to the lower clock speeds (2.05 GHz) on its High-Performance Cortex-A76 cores.

    Comparison with other SOCs

Here’s a brief comparison with other popular SOCs in the same price segment.

Snapdragon 730 vs 720G

While the 720G has slightly a better CPU, the power efficiency is slightly on the lower side. When factoring in everything else including real-world use case, their overall performance is on par.

Winner
  • Similar Performance

Snapdragon 730G vs 720G

Snapdragon 730G is basically a 730 with overclocked Graphics Processor. That allows it to take the lead over 720G..

Winner
  • Snapdragon 730G

Snapdragon 675 vs 720G

Snapdragon 675‘s CPU is based on the same Cortex-A76 architecture but it has lower clock speeds. Its Adreno 612 GPU is also inferior to Adreno 618.

Winner
  • Snapdragon 720G

Helio G90T vs Snapdragon 720G

Helio G90T has a edge in GPU Performance but it loses in CPU Performance & Power efficiency.

Winner
  • Snapdragon 720G

    Snapdragon 720G Review

I’ve absolutely no complaints with the Snapdragon 720G. It is an exceptional chip for High-End devices.

Whether you’re a basic user, a gamer or someone who uses a lot of productivity apps on their device, you’ll be impressed by its performance.

Snapdragon 720G
4.8

Here are the pros. and cons.

Pros
  • Excellent Performance
  • Exceptional Gaming Performance
  • Power Efficient
Cons
  • None

Let’s take a deeper look in each segment.

Performance in Basic Apps

In basic apps including Social Media, Web Browsing, and Video Playback, I have no complaints. The power-efficient Cortex-A55 based Kryo 465 Silver cores perform exceptionally well and you can get a similar experience as flagship devices.

Gaming Performance

In Graphically-intensive titles like PUBG Mobile & Call of Duty Mobile, you will get a lag-free gaming experience which is one of the best in this price segment. In terms of real-world experience, it is on par with Helio G90T & SD 730G based devices.

Fortnite runs quite well too. Even after gaming for long durations, the device is unlikely to get warm. For mobile gamers, it is highly recommended from my side.

You can get the rankings of all the mobile GPUs in this article.

Power Efficiency

While the power-efficiency isn’t on the same level as the Snapdragon 665, it is still excellent for the performance you get and it is considerably higher than that of Helio G90T. If the battery life is a priority for you, go with this one or the 730/730G instead of G90T.

Centurion Mark

Using our ranking methodology and performance tests, we have given it a score of 123. You can also check the rankings of all the Smartphone SOCs.

SD 720G Centurion Mark

 

List of Phones with Snapdragon 720G Processor:

  • Realme 6 Pro



Leave a Comment