Qualcomm’s best mobile chip is getting that extra bit better. As it has done in years past, Qualcomm is launching a “+” version of its flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The new chip, called the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, builds on the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It also improves on both performance and efficiency.
Not only is Qualcomm launching a higher-powered version of its flagship chip, but it has also announced the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. This is the first non-flagship chip to get Qualcomm’s new naming scheme, and hopefully it won’t take too long before the rest of the company’s lineup gets the treatment.
Interested in learning more about the tech that could power your next phone? Here’s everything you need to know.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is the most powerful mobile chip in Qualcomm’s lineup, taking over from the already high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. In fact, Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers up to 10% better CPU performance, while still managing to be up to 30% more power-efficient. In terms of clock speed, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ delivers up to 3.2GHz peak CPU speeds, up from the 3.0GHz peak speeds on offer by the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
The GPU gets a bump too. According to Qualcomm, you’ll get up to 10% faster GPU clock speeds, and up to a 30% GPU power reduction — just like the CPU.
And, of course, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers all the features that were already available in the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — like the ability to capture 8K KDR video, the Snapdragon X65 modem that supports 5G, and more.
I was able to test out a reference device powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 at Qualcomm’s annual 5G Summit. Indeed, the device was able to deliver excellent benchmark scores — scores that seemed around 10% better than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 devices that I’ve reviewed. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the benchmark scores we achieved with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Note, these scores are an average of three tests performed with other journalists that were present at the event.
- AnTuTu: 1,090,302
- GeekBench 5: 1,326 single-core, 4,208 multi-core
- PCMark: 17,546
- Jetstream 2: 155
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 won’t replace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but rather be available alongside it. It will likely feature more in enthusiast and gaming phones. Qualcomm says that the chipset is expected to ship in commercial devices in the third quarter of this year, with brands like Motorola, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, ROG, and more, all having commited to using the chip in an upcoming device.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen is an incredibly powerful chipset, but it’s also Qualcomm’s best chip to date, and thus likely expensive. The Snapdragon 7 series has a proven track record of delivering great performance for slightly cheaper phones. You’ll still get a high-end experience, but not quite as many features as you’ll get on a true flagship device.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is a step up from the previous-generation 7 series chips that were on offer. Qualcomm says that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 offers up to 20% faster graphics rendering compared to the Snapdragon 778 5G. And, it has a triple ISP that supports up to 200-megapixels from a single camera, up from 192MP on the Snapdragon 778 5G.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 will be available on consumer devices in the second quarter of this year, and brands like Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi will all launch devices with the chip.
