In Short:
Qualcomm has introduced its new Snapdragon 8 Elite System-on-Chip for high-end smartphones at the Snapdragon Summit. This processor features improved performance and power efficiency with a new CPU, GPU, and AI capabilities. Major brands like Samsung and OnePlus will release phones with this chip soon. The Snapdragon 8 Elite enhances AI applications, camera features, and connectivity for users’ devices.
Introduction of Snapdragon 8 Elite System-on-Chip
Qualcomm has unveiled its latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite System-on-Chip (SoC), during the Snapdragon Summit. This new chipset serves as the successor to the previous year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and adopts the “Elite” designation from Qualcomm’s existing PC chips. The Snapdragon 8 Elite integrates advanced components including a second-generation Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU, and Hexagon NPU to enhance performance and user experience.
Significance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite
“Our flagship mobile platforms are now taking on the Elite name, showcasing the remarkable progress it represents for the industry,” stated Qualcomm, emphasizing that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is designed to revolutionize user experiences by enabling sophisticated on-device, multi-modal generative AI applications on smartphones powered by this chipset.
Launch of Upcoming Devices
Qualcomm has confirmed that various OEMs and smartphone brands, including ASUS, HONOR, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi, will soon be releasing devices equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC.
“Our second generation of the Qualcomm Oryon CPU debuts in our flagship mobile platform,” Qualcomm mentioned, highlighting the advancements in this new chipset.
Technical Specifications of Snapdragon 8 Elite
Built on a state-of-the-art 3nm architecture, the Snapdragon 8 Elite features a second-generation Oryon CPU optimized specifically for mobile use. It employs a 2+6 octa-core processor design, comprising two Prime cores that can achieve clock speeds of up to 4.32GHz, alongside six Performance cores with a peak clock speed of 3.53GHz. This architecture delivers a significant 45 percent enhancement in CPU performance while also being 44 percent more power-efficient, according to Qualcomm.
Enhanced AI Capabilities
In addition to the CPU improvements, the Snapdragon 8 Elite includes an upgraded Qualcomm Adreno GPU featuring a sliced architecture, which amplifies performance by 40 percent and improves power efficiency by the same margin.
The chipset is equipped with the X80 5G Modem-RF System that incorporates a dedicated AI tensor accelerator, supports dual-channel LP-DDR5x memory, and many other advanced capabilities.
For handling AI workloads, the Snapdragon 8 Elite integrates a Qualcomm AI Engine that synergizes the CPU, GPU, and a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU). Qualcomm reported that the new Hexagon NPU offers a 45 percent enhancement in AI performance and a 45 percent increase in efficiency per watt, facilitating the support for sophisticated on-device, multi-modal generative AI applications.
Furthermore, the NPU powers the company’s “AI ISP” (image signal processor), enabling advanced AI-driven camera functionalities such as Semantic Segmentation at 4K resolution and an on-device video object eraser to eliminate unwanted elements from videos.
Comprehensive AI Integration
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is designed to deliver an array of AI experiences, including AI-optimized Wi-Fi 7 for extreme power efficiency, AI-based GNSS Location Gen 3, Spectra AI ISP, and improvements in face detection and video optimizations across the board.
Qualcomm asserts that this chip is fully integrated with AI-enhanced connectivity, combining cutting-edge AI-optimized 5G with Wi-Fi 7 capabilities to provide multi-gigabit speeds.
