Qualcomm's latest chip brings on-device generative AI to mid-tier smartphones
Qualcomm has unveiled its latest creation, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor. The new chipset is designed to provide a premium experience at a more budget-friendly price. It shares several characteristics with the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, such as the same CPU configuration, support for LPDDR5X RAM, and on-device AI processing. The first batch of smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 are set to hit the market later this month.
A detailed examination of features
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is equipped with a CPU configuration that includes one Cortex-X4 big core, four medium Cortex-A720 cores, and three smaller Cortex-A520 cores. Compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, these cores operate at reduced clock speeds of up to 3GHz, 2.8GHz, and 2GHz. The chipset also integrates TSMC's advanced 4nm manufacturing process and Qualcomm's FastConnect 7800 connectivity suite. Despite some compromises compared to its high-end sibling, it remains a strong competitor in the flagship-tier processor market.
AI capabilities and GPU performance
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 supports generative AI models with up to an impressive 10 billion parameters, including Google's Gemini Nano. However, these AI models take longer to process on this chip than the 8 Gen 3. The chipset's Adreno GPU originates from last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 model but offers hardware-based ray tracing and super-resolution support for games. Even without global illumination tech, the GPU has been fine-tuned for enhanced ray tracing performance compared to its predecessor.
Camera capabilities and connectivity options
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 offers a range of camera features, including support for 200MP cameras, real-time semantic segmentation in photos and videos, and enhanced low-light video. However, it does not support 8K recording or high-frame-rate video beyond 4K/60fps and 1080p/240fps. On the connectivity front, the chipset incorporates the X70 modem from the Snapdragon 8 Gen model, offering Release 17 support with peak downlink speeds of up to 5Gbps. It also maintains satellite communication capabilities despite its lower-tier status.
Smartphone releases featuring Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
The first smartphones powered by the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 are expected to launch later this month. Brands such as HONOR, IQOO, Realme, Redmi, and Xiaomi have been confirmed as among the manufacturers that will incorporate this new chipset. Qualcomm also hinted at a US release for phones with this processor but did not specify which brands would be involved. The company anticipates phones equipped with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 to fall within the $500-$800 price range.
