After launching the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 flagship processor last year for powering premium Android smartphones, Qualcomm has now announced an upgraded version, dubbed Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 +Gen 1. Along with that, the company has also announced the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 has an improved Kryo CPU that delivers faster and more efficient on-device cross-tasking. It is claimed to offer 10 percent faster CPU performance, 30 percent improved power efficiency and up to 3.2GHz CPU speeds.
The processor also supports a full suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming, which coupled with Qualcomm Adreno GPU, offers powerful gameplay support. The company is claiming 10 percent faster GPU clock speeds, 30 percent GPU power reduction, HDR gaming support with 10-but color depth, and Rec 2020 color gamut.
There’s also a 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine providing intuitive, streamlined experiences. Thanks to the Snapdragon Sight with 18-bit triple ISP, it supports advanced photography features with vivid colors and clarity. It can record 8K HDR videos in over a billion color shades and can capture 64MP photos simultaneously.
It has Qualcomm’s 4th generation Snapdragon X65 5G modem that offers 5G speeds up to 10 Gbps with support for more networks, frequencies, and bandwidths globally. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E with speeds up to 3.6 Gbps. The chip also brings Snapdragon Sound Technology for high-resolution audio output.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset will be adopted by ASUS ROG, Black Shark, HONOR, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, OSOM, Realme, RedMagic, Redmi, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The first devices powered by this new processor are expected to launch in Q3 2022.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
The newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor is the next-generation Snapdragon 700-series chipset and the first in the lineup to adopt the new naming scheme. It brings some of the high–end, in–demand features and technologies to more people worldwide.
The processor comes with select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, like Adreno Frame Motion Engine, which can double the framerate to upscale content while maintaining the same power consumption. The improved Adreno GPU delivers more than 20% faster graphics rendering.
It also has a Qualcomm Spectra triple ISP that can simultaneously shoot images from three camera sensors or take up to 200MP resolution photos. There’s also 7th gen Qualcomm AI Engine, which enables Deep Learning Face Detect, even while wearing a mask. The company adds that the processor also features up to 30% improved AI performance.
For the first time, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 comes with a dedicated Trust Management Engine and Android Ready SE for the safety and protection of users’ information. It packs 4th gen Snapdragon X62 5G Modem–RF System and includes FastConnect 6900 for superior Wi–Fi and Bluetooth.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor will be adopted by brands like Honor, OPPO, and Xiaomi, and commercial devices are expected to be available by the end of June this year.
