Qualcomm just took the stage to announce the long-rumored Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset that is going to power a number of Android flagships in the next year or so, including Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S22 series phones.
Previously rumored as Snapdragon 898, the processor got a name change, as Qualcomm decided to simplify and streamline how it calls its mobile chipsets. This, and the fact that the team from San Diego is branching out into processors for Microsoft Windows 11 devices, as well as into a gaming platform. We are most interested in mobile applications, however, so here are the most interesting Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 details.
Here’s a list of the most important new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features:
- Up to 3GHz Kryo CPU with Cortex-X2 cores.
- 30% faster Adreno GPU with 25% lower power consumption.
- The world’s first X65 5G modem to reach 10 Gigabit download speeds.
- First 18-bit image signal processor for mobile.
- First 8K HDR10+ video capture for mobile.
- Mega low-light capture snaps 30 images and merges the best parts into one shot.
- Always-On ISP for fast face unlocking and locking.
- 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine for voice analysis and Leica Leitz Look bokeh filters.
- Bluetooth Low Energy audio features like broadcasting, stereo recording, and voice back-channel for gaming.
- First platform with Android Ready Secure Element support, the new standard for digital car keys or drivers’ licenses.
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 888 | Exynos 2100 | Apple A14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production process | Samsung 4nm EUV | Samsung 5nm EUV | Samsung 5nm EUV | TSMC 5nm 2nd gen |
| Processor cores | 1xCortex-X2@3GHz | 1x [email protected] | Exynos [email protected] | 2x [email protected] |
| GPU | Adreno 730, 30% faster and 20% more frugal | Adreno 660 @ 800MHz | ARM Mali-G78 | Apple custom quad-core (5-core on the iPhone 13 Pro models) |
| Modem | X65 5G modem (integrated)
up to 10 Gbps over 5G Global iSIM multi-SIM card support |
X60 5G modem (integrated)
up to 7.5Gbps over 5G, and 3 Gbps download speeds on LTE |
Exynos 5123 (Category 24)Downloads up to 7.3Gbps (mmWave), 5.1Gbps (sub-6GHz), or 3Gbps (4G LTE), 8xCA Uploads: up to 422 Mbps |
Qualcomm X60 5G modem |
| AI co-processor | 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine | Hexagon 780 | Tri-core NPU, up to 26 TOPS | 16-core Neural Engine, up to 15.8 TOPS |
| Video encode | 8K HDR10+ | 8K HDR at 60fps 4K HDR at 120fps |
8K HDR at 60fps 4K HDR at 120fps |
4K HDR+ at 120fps |
| Features support | QHD+ @144Hz or 4K@60Hz display refresh
Demura and subpixel rendering for OLED uniformity First 18-bit ISP, mega low light capture merges 30 images in one shot for brighter, sharper pictures Qualcomm FastConnect 6900: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-fi 6E (up to 3.6GBps) |
QHD+ @144Hz or 4K@60Hz display refresh
Triple 14-bit Spectra 580 ISP, up to 200MP sensor 4K computational HDR, low-light capture architecture Qualcomm FastConnect 6900: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-fi 6E (up to 3.6GBps) |
UFS 3.1 storage support for up to 2.9GB/s speeds
Single-camera up to 200MP up to 16 GB DDR5 Variable 120Hz display refresh rate |
Computational photography
Cinematic Mode video bokeh Machine learning capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second. As you can see, Qualcomm isn’t playing around and offers some unique 5G connectivity and other features that Apple will have to catch up with when its next-generation A16 processor hits the iPhone 14 in the fall of 2022. That one is reportedly also being done on the 4nm process, but until then the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 may stay the undisputed connectivity king for the 5G era.. We are also very curious to test the new 18-bit ISP and the 8K HDR10+ video capture it brings, not to mention the digital keys and cards or the integrated iSIM multi-SIM functionality. There’s is little doubt that the Galaxy S22 series will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but the chipmaker also lists many other manufacturers lining up for it.
Black Shark, Honor, iQOO, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Redmi, SHARP, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE are all in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mix, with the first phones powered by the new chipset expected as soon as next month.
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