Leaks claim GPU performance will outdo even Apple
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 series SoC has been powering some of the best Android smartphones on the market this year. The extremely capable octa-core chip has already seen one upgrade in the form of the 8+ Gen 1, and now we’re anxiously looking forward to the debut of what’s next. As we wait for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a new rumor has us wondering just how fast things could get, with talk about some sky-high clock speeds.
Qualcomm has scheduled its Snapdragon Summit event to kick off on November 15, where it will announce the 8 Gen 2 SoC. The original Gen 1 operated at clock speeds up to 3GHz, and the 8+ Gen 1 chip that powers phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 can run as fast as 3.2GHz. Leaker digital chat station on Weibo (via Android Central) claims Qualcomm could introduce a chip in 2023 that operates at 3.4 to 3.5GHz speeds.
While there’s not a lot of detail to go on here, talk about this just being one particular version of the 8 Gen 2 makes us wonder if this could be more like an 8+ Gen 2 — mirroring the same sort of speed boost we saw with the 8+ Gen 1. A repeat of that cycle could see this rumored chip debut in mid-2023, a few months after the 8 Gen 2 cements its place in the market.
The leaker adds another tall claim, saying this chip could be equipped with a GPU capable of outperforming Apple’s A-series silicon. We haven’t heard much yet about what Qualcomm could be thinking for GPU changes, but previous leaks have already suggested the 8 Gen 2 could be planning to switch things up for its CPU, with four different core groups consisting of one Cortex-X3, two A720 cores, two A710 cores, and three A510 cores.
While these high clock speeds all sound impressive on paper, real world performance is a complicated equation, involving everything from the instruction pipeline, to thermal management, and even software optimization by Android OEMs. Rumors suggest OnePlus will be one of the first brands to launch a smartphone packing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
