Image Credits: Fone Arena Mobile
Qualcomm has introduced a new version of its flagship processor. The new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (SM8475) offers minor speed improvements and significant power reductions — the previous 8 Gen 1 was never sluggish; its primary faults were heat and battery utilization.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Unveiled
Image Credits: Twitter
Qualcomm claims a 10% increase in CPU performance and a 30% increase in power efficiency for the CPU. The max Cortex-X2 core can now reach 3.2GHz, matching the Snapdragon 870 clock speed in early 2021.
The following are the new frequencies for the other two CPU clusters: The prime core runs at 3.2GHz, the gold cores at 2.75GHz, and the silver cores at 2.0GHz. This definitely is an increase from 3.0GHz, 2.5GHz, and 1.8GHz.
Similarly, the GPU operates at a 10% higher frequency while consuming 30% less power. Furthermore, the AI engine now has a 20% higher performance per Watt ratio. Wireless modems have also become more efficient.
On the SoC level, total power efficiency has increased by 15%. To put it another way, a phone with the same chipset can stream video for 1 hour 30 minutes longer than one with the old processor. Voice calls, a small burden, can now be extended by 5 hours and 30 minutes (the rest of the hardware being equal).
Qualcomm had as switch foundries to achieve these advances – the technology is still referred to as “4nm,” but TSMC rather than Samsung manufactures it.
These are the official figures for improved performance and efficiency. How well does the chip perform in practice? Asus offered us a ROG Engineering gadget to test, so check out our real-world benchmarks and compare how it compares to earlier Snapdragon 8-series CPUs. It should be noted that this ROG phone is not intended to be a commercial item, but rather a demonstration of the potential of the new technology.
What does Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 feature?
Image Credits: Qualcomm
The remainder of the hardware within the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is the same. Up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM (3,200MHz) and UFS 3.1 storage are supported. The display driver supports QHD+ at up to 144Hz and 4K at 60Hz, as well as 10-bit rendering (Rec. 2020) and HDR10+.
The Snapdragon X65 modem helps in providing potential peak speeds of up to 10Gbps, while the FastConnect 6900 operates is capable enough to operate up to 3.6GHz for Wi-Fi 6/6E. Bluetooth 5.3 supports aptX Lossless and Bluetooth LE Audio (with longer playtimes thanks to the improved efficiency).
The processor employs the same triple 18-bit Spectra ISP that can handle up to 200MP sensors and 8K video recording at 30fps (4K at 120fps), as well as image processing gimmicks like multi-frame noise reduction and staggered/DoL HDR, as well as compatibility for HLG, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision.
Again, the 8 Gen 1’s networking and picture processing abilities were never an issue. The issue was that severe workloads caused the temperature to rise and the battery % to decline.
According to Qualcomm, the first Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 smartphones will be released in Q3 of this year (July-September). And there is a long, lengthy list of manufacturers working hard to create those gadgets. In alphabetical order, they are as follows: Asus ROG, Black Shark, HONOR, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, Oppo, OSOM, realme, Red Magic, Redmi, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE.
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC is reported to be 10% quicker in CPU performance and 30% more power-efficient on the CPU and GPU fronts at the maximum clock speed due to the improved manufacturing process and higher CPU and GPU clock rates. In practice, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC is touted to be 15% more energy efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
