Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is aimed at more accessible high-end smartphones

Qualcomm is changing the game with its latest addition to the high-end chip lineup, introducing the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3. Positioned just below the highly acclaimed Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, this new chip is designed to offer an attractive compromise between performance and price, paving the way for more accessible smartphones without sacrificing innovative features.

THE Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 brings much of the performance of its big brother, especially when it comes to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features and support for generative AI models directly on the device. It’s an interesting step towards the high end of the range for more affordable smartphones, even if it can be confusing as the options seem numerous and varied.

Let’s get to the heart of the matter: this little gem of technology offers a GPU comparable to that of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, despite a slight reduction in terms of performance cores and operating frequency – the main core reaching 3.0 GHz compared to 3 .4 GHz for its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 also works with an earlier generation modem, the X70 5G, which stands out for supporting Wi-Fi 7 and photorealistic gaming thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

The domain ofartificial intelligence is no slouch, with support for multimodal generative AI that can handle language models of up to 10 billion parameters, including Llama 2 and Gemini Nano. While not all of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s AI capabilities are available, essential features like AI-generation virtual assistants and image expansion are there.

According to Deepu John, senior director of product management at Qualcomm, the Snapdragon family comes in several tiers. The “S” series, for example, sits a notch below the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. And if Qualcomm decided to launch a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 3, the latter would take over at the top of the hierarchy.

It’s true that the landscape can seem complex, especially when you consider that phone makers continue to use 2022’s flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, in less premium models. And with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 nestling just below the 8S Gen 3, Qualcomm seems determined to redefine the boundaries of the high-end smartphone market, perhaps to prevent manufacturers from turning to MediaTek for their premium devices. midrange.

Despite this strategic positioning, the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 should soon enter the market. Brands such as Honor, iQOO, Realme, Redmi and Xiaomi have already expressed interest in this technology, promising the arrival of new equipped devices in the coming months. Although these smartphones will probably not be released in the United States immediately, the impact of this new chipset on the global market promises to be interesting to observe.