Although the competition for Qualcomm is increasing, it still dominates the market for premium Android smartphone chips. The American company owes this success in large part to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, which most premium Android smartphones have been equipped with in recent months.
And recently, Qualcomm has formalized an improved version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1: the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which should power a majority of the high-end smartphones of the second half of the year.
The newest #snapdragon Vision technologies like 8K HDR video recording take smartphone videography to the next level. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 also records in premium HDR10+ format with over a billion shades of color. [3/5] pic.twitter.com/iYPlRNAOsV
– Snapdragon (@snapdragon) May 20, 2022
Since it’s not a new generation, the improvements over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 aren’t significant. However, for gamers, using a smartphone with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 should still bring significant changes to the experience.
In fact, according to Qualcomm, the new chip has an improved Adreno GPU that offers 10% more graphics performance and 30% more energy efficiency. On the CPU side, there is also a performance gain of 10%, as well as a 30% gain in energy efficiency. According to the company, users of future smartphones that use this chip can expect an additional hour of gaming fun.
Several manufacturers are already planning to use this new component. These include ASUS ROG, Black Shark, HONOR, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, OSOM, Realme, RedMagic, Redmi, vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE. On the other hand, rumors suggest that Samsung’s next folding smartphones, due to be officially released in August, will also use this chip, which could allow them to outperform the Galaxy S22. Normally, smartphones with the 8+ Gen 1 chip will arrive from the third quarter.
Qualcomm is also increasing its mid-range offering
In addition to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Qualcomm has also formalized a new chip for mid-range smartphones (but with similar characteristics to premium models): the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1.
As the American company explains, the 7 Gen 1 chip makes certain premium features (e.g. mobile gaming features) accessible to more users. And among the brands that will use this component there are Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi. The first models will be launched in the second quarter of 2022.
announcement of #snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Mobile Platform – Your complete gaming package. It offers epic mobile gaming, high-speed connectivity, larger-than-life capture, and intelligent entertainment. [1/5] pic.twitter.com/XkSkjjcw3u
– Snapdragon (@snapdragon) May 20, 2022
For gamers, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip packs some “elite gaming” features, like the Adreno Frame Motion Engine, which can double the frame rate to enhance content while consuming the same amount of power. And when it comes to performance, the GPU improves graphics rendering speeds by 20%.
Qualcomm also cites improvements in the ISP that manages the cameras, as well as performance gains of around 30% in terms of artificial intelligence.
“In mobile, our primary focus is to bring game-changing new features and technologies to the industry and to our customers’ flagship devices. We will implement these features first in our Snapdragon 8 series and then integrate them into our mobile roadmap.”said Christopher Patrick, senior vice president and general manager, mobile devices. “The new Snapdragon 8+ and 7 Gen 1 offer game-changing user experiences in their respective tiers. »
It remains to be seen whether Qualcomm’s 8+Gen 1 chip will manage to surpass Mediatek’s Dimensity 9000, which to everyone’s surprise showed excellent performance.
Qualcomm is also flexing its muscles when it comes to augmented reality
Qualcomm is also thinking about augmented reality. The company also presented a new reference design of augmented reality glasses with its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 platform. The peculiarity of these glasses is that their operation no longer requires a cable connection with a smartphone or a PC.
And the good things keep coming: Say hello to 100% WIRELESS #AR Thanks @Qualcomm + @snapdragonis new #AR Eyewear reference design using Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 #XR Software suite to cut the cord between glasses and smartphone to unlock #metaverse. #TeamQualcomm pic.twitter.com/HWeEYFkn97
— Don McGuire (@dannymac) May 20, 2022
The reference design is intended for manufacturers to help them develop their own products based on Qualcomm chips.
“Wireless Reference Design helps OEMs and ODMs more seamlessly and cost-effectively create prototypes and bring high-end, lightweight AR glasses to market to enable immersive experiences that unlock the Metaverse.”explains the company.
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