Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform ushers in a new generation for Qualcomm

What you need to know
- Qualcomm announces its latest flagship Snapdragon chipset.
- The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset is the first to utilize Qualcomm's new naming convention.
- The chipset features advancements in AI to enhance on-device processing and improve photo quality.
Qualcomm has finally unveiled the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform, the first chipset to adopt Qualcomm's new naming convention that it teased earlier this month. This new "simplified" naming scheme represents a new generation for Qualcomm that focuses its efforts on advanced AI processing and fast 5G speeds.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features a new 3GHz ARM Cortex X2 high-performance core that should provide up to 40% better performance than its predecessor. It's also built on a 4nm process for improved efficiency over the Snapdragon 888.
However, beyond speed, Qualcomm is focusing on AI capabilities and performance. Thanks to the 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features 4x faster AI performance. This will help enhance on-device processing capabilities to better group and prioritize notifications on the best Android phones with natural language processing. It will also enable vocal analysis with Sonde Health, which Qualcomm says can help monitor your wellbeing and detect if a user might be at risk of conditions like asthma, depression, and even COVID-19.
Beyond that, the AI engine will help take photography to a new level thanks to Leica's Leitz Look mode and the introduction of Snapdragon Sight. Like Snapdragon Sound, which is an umbrella of Qualcomm's audio technologies like AptX Lossless and AptX Adaptive, Snapdragon Sight brings the best of Qualcomm's imaging under one name. This includes Qualcomm's first 18-bit ISP for more vivid images and unprecedented 8K HDR video capture along with simultaneous capture from up to three sensors. And with the always-on ISP, your camera will detect faces for fast, accurate focusing and seamless face unlock without sacrificing battery life.
The new Spectra ISP can capture up to 200MP images, meaning it'll be ready for Samsung's new 200MP sensor when it arrives on the first Android smartphones. Qualcomm also highlights a "mega night mode," which captures and stitches 30 images together for the best night shots.
The chipset supports up to 16GB of RAM and is paired with the X65 modem, enabling up to 10Gbps 5G speeds with its improved mmWave antenna module while providing all-day battery life. There's also Wi-Fi 6, 6E support for the fastest Wi-Fi connection.
For mobile gamers, Snapdragon Elite Gaming gets a 30% boost in graphics rendering with the latest Adreno GPU while providing increased power efficiency. This comes in handy with Unreal Engine 5 support and improved frame rate for a smooth gaming experience. Qualcomm also comes with Audiokinetic technology for console-quality audio.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is also the first mobile platform to support Android Ready SE, which paves the way for standardized digital car keys, mobile drivers' licenses, and more while retaining a high level of security.
With the increased focus on AI performance, it seems like Qualcomm is taking aim at Google after the release of the Pixel 6 running the search giant's own Tensor chipset. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is likely to provide faster general performance than Tensor, it'll be interesting to see how companies play up the AI features in their phones when the first devices launch.
The new chipset is set to be used by Android OEMs, including Honor, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Redmi, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, and more. Qualcomm says the first commercial devices are expected before the end of the year.
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Derrek is a long-time Nokia and LG fanboy who loves astronomy, videography, and sci-fi movies. When he's not working, he's most likely working out or smoldering at the camera.
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Isn't the 800 the real model 8 gen 1? Confusing branding that will get even more confusing in a few years with price ranges. Anyhoo, the hardware image stacking is very interesting. If they can do it combined with sensors to make it work like a software motorized mount it would change photography. Though, I guess that would require some sort of individual calibration of each device, to know the health of each subpixel. But, we're getting there slowly. One day we will be able to take a photo of the Pillars of Creation with a handheld phone camera. :)
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I just hope the branding doesn't get super confusing like USB...
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It doesn't look good. I don't get why they opted for this. What will the budget versions be called next year? The plus models? Snapdragon 8 Generation 2 Mark 3 Iteration 2? :)
The only half logical answer I have is that they know it's not sufficiently different to be 9xx but they didn't want to cram it in on 89x, because they wanted to sound fresh like Samsung's RDNA2 goodness? -
Apple's previous and current generation processors are still years ahead. You want the best? Buy Apple.
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Then why are you on an Android site?
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He's spreading Christmas cheer.
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He must be spreading sarcasm..