Octa-core vs Quad-core: Differences explained

The earlier mobile phones were basically cousins of the traditional landline phones but the smartphones that are in use nowadays are very close in functionality to cameras and computers. These add-ons require hardware which is a teensy bit more complicated. All these bells and whistles need to work in conjunction with the features available in the smartphone and that is where the processor comes into the picture.

Here's how Octa-core is different from Quad-core

The processor of the phone processes the demands and issue commands or communicates with all the other components to ensure the seamless operation of the system. The modern-day smartphone has a plethora of features and apps to be taken advantage of. These apps often work with other pieces of software that have been installed on the phone. The processor or SoC (System on Chip) houses the components like central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU).

To meet the demand for faster, more powerful functioning, innovations had to be made to make the processor stronger and one of the things that were done is increase the number of CPUs or 'cores.’

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The cores increased in number and decreased in size over the years. But the number of cores does not necessarily mean that the phone’s processing capabilities increase that many times.

Operation

The quad-core and octa-core chips differ in their function in certain key ways, this is due to the way that they have been arranged and the way the work is processed by each core.

Each of the cores in quad-core chips works together to on a particular task to ensure the process is completed faster and more efficiently.

The cores in octa-core chips are basically two quad-core processor sets, the cores in one of the sets are relatively less powerful when compared to the other set. The job of performing a particular task is handed off to one or the other depending on the demands set by the task assigned. "Dual quad-core" is a much more apt name for this device than octa core.

Power consumption

The processing units of a smartphone need to draw from the battery in order to perform a lot of its functions. More cores mean that more power needs to be drawn from the battery for functions to be performed.

This is the main reason the battery life of phones has plummeted. Playing a high-end game or a high definition video demands more from a processor than checking messages or navigating home screens.

The octa-core processor is designed to take advantage of this, the set of cores with lesser power takes up the responsibility when handling less demanding tasks and the more powerful set of cores step up when the tasks to be performed require more processing functions. This results in a lesser strain on the battery of the system.

Conclusion

Double the number of cores does not mean the processing capability of an octa-core device is twice that of a dual-core device. Since only four cores will be functioning simultaneously when tackling a particular problem, the processes do not get done any faster in an octa-core device as opposed to a quad-core device.

The only advantage of an octa-core device is that by using cores which are not too much of a drain on the battery for easier tasks. This improves the battery life of the devices that are being used.