top of page

Qualcomm unveils a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 packed with intelligence

  • Writer: Steve Johan
    Steve Johan
  • Mar 1, 2024
  • 4 min read

Qualcomm unveils a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2


Qualcomm, the industry leader in mobile processors, has officially unveiled the highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This next-generation mobile platform promises to redefine the boundaries of smartphone capabilities, with a particular emphasis on groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) integration across various aspects of the chip. Let's delve into the details and explore how the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 aims to revolutionize the user experience.


Like every year, Qualcomm organizes its Snapdragon Summit to unveil its latest developments. The highlight is the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which will equip all 2023 flagships.


Every year, the ritual is repeated: Qualcomm presents with great fanfare the SoC which will equip the vast majority of flagships that will be released in the following months. The central chip of the smartphone allows us to draw up a rough portrait of the capabilities to expect from future Samsung, Xiaomi, and other OnePlus devices. Here comes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.


The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2


For its new chip, Qualcomm is not promising a revolution in CPU performance, even if the announced gain of 35% is significant, to focus on other more important improvements around it. Remember that an SoC is a chip made up of numerous elements that will each have an impact on the use of your smartphone.



Qualcomm unveils a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2


Thus, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 relies in particular on “Snapdragon Smart," the name given to everything related to AI at Qualcomm. The firm announces "up to 4.35 times more performance in AI.” Enough to enable faster real-time translations and be capable of managing several languages ​​in parallel.


AI will also play a role in photo processing alongside an improved ISP for the occasion. The dedicated photo and video engine can handle 200 MP photos and 8K HDR capture. From now on, Qualcomm announces that it can better understand a photo by detecting faces, hair, clothing, the sky, etc., to then differentiate the image processing for each of these detected elements.


Qualcomm is also emphasizing improvements to its Adreno GPU, which would gain 25% in performance. Above all, support for Vulkan 1.3 allows this Snapdragon to manage ray tracing natively and accelerate in hardware for the first time. The amazing MetaHumans from Unreal Engine will also be managed.


AV1 support has been added in decoding to play videos up to 8K HDR at 60 frames per second.


Finally, there is connectivity, which is important on a chip intended for smartphones. Behind the improvements made to 5G, there is the arrival of Wi-Fi 7 support and several improvements to Bluetooth. Wireless audio should notably see its latency drop below 48 ms in video games.


Smartphones from 2022


The good surprise is that it will not even be necessary to wait until 2023 to discover the first smartphones equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Qualcomm plans to release the first products at the end of 2022.

Several major brands like Xiaomi, Sony, OnePlus, and Asus have already signed to equip this new chip on their next smartphones.


A Focus on AI from the Ground Up:


The core philosophy behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 revolves around ubiquitous AI. Unlike previous generations where AI capabilities were limited to specific tasks, the Gen 2 boasts a system-wide approach, integrating AI into various components of the chip. This results in significant performance and efficiency improvements in areas like photography, gaming, connectivity, and more.


Key Innovations:


  • Cognitive Image Signal Processor (ISP): This revolutionary innovation marks the first-ever ISP with AI capabilities. It allows the camera to understand the scene in real-time and optimize various parameters like exposure, white balance, and detail enhancement for each object in the frame. This translates to professional-grade photos and videos, even in challenging lighting conditions or with complex scenes.


  • Dual AI Processors in the Qualcomm Sensing Hub: These dedicated AI processors handle tasks like motion tracking, object detection, and sensor fusion, further enhancing camera capabilities and enabling superior video stabilization, face recognition, and augmented reality (AR) experiences.


  • World's First 5G AI Processor in a Modem-RF System: This groundbreaking feature utilizes AI to optimize cellular network performance by dynamically adjusting transmission power and resource allocation based on real-time network conditions. This results in faster data speeds, lower latency, and improved power efficiency for 5G connectivity.


  • Fastest and Most Advanced Qualcomm Hexagon Processor Ever: This dedicated AI engine offers a 4.35x performance boost compared to the previous generation. This translates to faster natural language processing (NLP), enabling smoother voice assistant interactions, smarter chatbots, and more efficient on-device machine learning tasks.

Beyond AI: Powering the Next Generation of Mobile Experiences


While AI is the standout feature, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 boasts several other improvements that enhance the overall user experience:


  • Enhanced CPU and GPU Performance: The new Kryo CPU delivers a 25% performance uplift over its predecessor, while the Adreno GPU promises a 20% graphics rendering improvement. This translates to smoother performance in demanding applications, including intensive gaming and multitasking.


  • Industry-Leading Display Support: The platform supports the latest display technologies, including 144Hz refresh rates and HDR10+ for ultra-smooth visuals and exceptional colors on compatible smartphones.


  • Advanced Connectivity Features: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is equipped with the Snapdragon X70 modem-RF system, supporting the latest 5G standards and offering multi-gigabit download speeds. Additionally, it introduces Wi-Fi 7, enabling even faster and more reliable wireless connectivity.


The Impact on the Mobile Landscape:


The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2's focus on AI integration has significant implications for the future of mobile technology. Here are some potential impacts:


  • Enhanced Photography and Videography: AI-powered features like scene recognition and object optimization will lead to professional-grade image and video quality on smartphones, potentially even challenging the dominance of dedicated cameras for everyday users.


  • Smarter and More Personalized Experiences: On-device AI capabilities will enable adaptive user interfaces, context-aware applications, and improved voice assistants. This can lead to a more personalized and intuitive user experience on smartphones.


  • Advanced Gaming and AR Applications: The combination of AI and powerful graphics processing will pave the way for more immersive and realistic gaming experiences with features like AI-powered character animation and real-time environmental effects. Additionally, AI can fuel the development of more advanced AR applications with seamless object recognition and interaction.

A Look Ahead: The Future of Mobile Intelligence


The unveiling of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 marks a significant leap forward in the integration of AI into mobile devices. This innovative chip promises to revolutionize the way we interact with our smartphones, paving the way for smarter, more efficient, and personalized experiences. As AI continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, we can expect even more exciting developments in the future of mobile technology, driven by visionary platforms like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Commentaires


Contact Me

info@mysite.com

  • Facebook Social Icon
  • LinkedIn Social Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon

© 2035 by Phil Steer . Powered and secured by Wix

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page