Android’s Next Flagship Chip is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Image: Qualcomm

Qualcomm on Tuesday unveiled its next-generation flagship chip for Android smartphones, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform will define a new standard for connected computing, intelligently engineered with groundbreaking AI across the board to enable extraordinary experiences.

This update to Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon platform focuses on power efficiency, but also brings major improvements to AI functionality, support for Wi-Fi 7, and better image processing. It is the first Snapdragon chip to feature support for INT4, a revolutionary AI precision format.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 succeeds the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which was a mid-cycle refresh to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from last year. Qualcomm is claiming a 40% increase in power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 25% faster graphics performance, and 4.35x the AI performance (in certain workloads).

The upgraded Qualcomm Adreno GPU on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also boasts real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing for life-like light, reflections, and illuminations in mobile games.

Image: Qualcomm

“We are passionate about enabling people to do more, so we design Snapdragon with the user at the center. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will revolutionize the landscape of flagship smartphones in 2023,” said Chris Patrick, Qualcomm’s senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets.

“Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers groundbreaking AI, unparalleled connectivity, and champion-level gameplay, enabling consumers to enhance every experience on their most trusted device.”

Will it be able to beat the A16 Bionic chip from Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro lineup, though? If history is any indicator, it won’t. That said, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 should still be able to cement itself at the top of the Android food chain.

ASUS Republic of Gamers, HONOR, iQOO, Motorola, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMAGIC, Redmi, SHARP, Sony Corporation, vivo, Xiaomi, XINGJI/MEIZU, and ZTE, among others, have already signed on to develop Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered phones, Qualcomm said. The first devices with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip under the hood are expected to launch by the end of 2022.

You can learn more about Qualcomm’s next flagship mobile platform on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 webpage.