At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit is currently taking place in Hawaii, it took the wraps off its brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The Snapdragon 8 is set to power many of the top upcoming Android devices, not made by Google. Let’s break down what you have to look forward to.
Connectivity
Qualcomm has equipped the Snapdragon 8 with its new integrated X65 5G modem. This modem will support 10 Gigabit download speeds, WiFi 6, and WiFi 6E. The Snapdragon 8 WiFi can handle speeds up to 3.6 Gbps to ensure smooth performance.
Camera
The Sight technology included in the Snapdragon 8 platform is capable of capturing a lot of data. Up to 4000 times more camera data than its previous flagship chip, the Snapdragon 888. This data is for increased dynamic range, color, and sharpness at speeds up to 3.2 gigapixels per second.
It is the first mobile platform to capture video in 8K HDR with support for HDR10+. They even included a new Bokeh Engine to help all your photos taken in portrait mode.
They have included an Always-On function that allows the camera to run in a low power state. This enables the device to unlock when it sees your face and immediately lock when it is no longer detected.
Gaming
Consisting of over 50 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features. It will deliver ultra-smooth responsiveness, HDR, and desktop-level capabilities.
The new Adreno GPU provides a 30% increase in graphics capabilities. All while using up to 25% less power compared to previous generations.
The Variable Rate Shading Pro will allow game developers to fine-tune performance. Volumetric rendering brings increased realism for things like fog and smoke.
Sound
Snapdragon Sound Technology and Bluetooth 5.2 allows for crystal-clear voice and music. The Qualcomm aptX Lossless Technology enables CD-quality lossless wireless audio.
Security
A dedicated trust management engine provides an extra Root of Trust for apps and services. It will be the first mobile platform to feature Android Ready SE. Which is the new standard for digital car keys, and your driver’s license. It will also have iSIM support.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Featuring a 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine powered by a Hexagon processor. It is up to 4x faster than its predecessor, with up to 2x larger shared memory and a 2x faster tensor accelerator.
The Snapdragon 8 platform is going to bring some great new features and capabilities. You won’t have to wait long to see it in action as devices are rumored to launch with the Snapdragon 8 in Q1 of 2022.
