Technology
How will Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset improve Android smartphones
Qualcomm introduced its latest chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, at the Snapdragon Summit 2022. The new-generation mobile platform promises "champion-level gameplay, accelerated performance, ingenious capture, unparalleled connectivity, and more," according to the company. It will be adopted by smartphone brands across the world and should be introduced in devices by the end of this year. Take a look at its key highlights.
What are the upgrades generation-over-generation?
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 promises several generation-on-generation upgrades over its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It has one prime core that clocks at 3.2GHz, four performance cores (one more than the predecessor) clocked at up to 2.8GHz, and three efficiency cores at up to 2GHz. The CPU is 35% faster and offers 40% more efficient battery consumption. However, the 4-nanometer architecture remains unchanged.
It promises a powerful and fast AI
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has the company's latest AI Engine powered by a Qualcomm Hexagon processor with faster Tensor accelerators. It promises up to 4.35 times faster AI performance than its predecessor. It is also the first mobile platform to support a revolutionary AI precision format called INT4. It boosts performance-per-watt by 60% for sustained AI inferencing.
Photos and videos get a glamorous touch
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can enhance photos and videos in real time. It has an AI neural network that makes the camera contextually aware of faces, landscapes, and more and optimizes them individually for customized professional tuning. It is also the brand's first chip with an AV1 codec. Thus, up to 8K HDR video playback at 60 frames per second is now possible.
First chipset with Wi-Fi 7
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 promises unparalleled 5G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It delivers the first commercial Wi-Fi 7 with High Band Simultaneous (HBS) Multi-Link, low latency, and offers speeds of up to 5.8Gbps. Two 5G SIMs can be used at once. For an immersive audio experience, the chip supports Dual Bluetooth, Snapdragon Sound, and LE Audio with spatial audio.
5G coverage and speeds are through the roof
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 packs a Snapdragon X70 5G Modem-RF System with Qualcomm 5G AI Processor. It claims to harness the power of AI to permit ultra-fast 5G coverage, upload/download speeds, latency, and power efficiency.
Gaming performance and safety are paramount
Real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mobile-optimized support for the Unreal Engine 5 Metahumans Framework, will ensure a good experience for gamers. The graphics are rendered 25% faster in comparison to the preceding chip. The chip also gets Snapdragon Secure which protects the user's data and privacy by offering the latest data isolation, attestation, cryptography, and key management techniques.
Which smartphones will get the new platform?
Xiaomi's 13 series of smartphones, the Vivo X90 Pro+, Motorola X40, the OnePlus 11 series, iQOO 11, OPPO Find X6, and Nubia REDMAGIC 8 Pro will get the new processor. Sony and ASUS will also use the platform in their upcoming devices.
