Hey guys, I’m reporting from Hawaii for the Snapdragon Summit 2024! Today, we’re diving into something huge. Qualcomm has just unveiled its next-generation mobile platform chip—the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
So, if you are looking to get the upcoming Samsung or Xiaomi phones, this is a game-changer for your smartphones, as I’m talking about insane upgrades in performance, gaming, AI, and even photography!
Snapdragon 8 Elite Overview
So, first off, what exactly is the Snapdragon 8 Elite? Well, it’s Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile platform, the evolution of their well-known Snapdragon 8 series, but this time, they’ve taken it to a whole new level with performance and efficiency and they’ve even given it a new name and visual design to match the elite status.
So, this is what is expected to be featured in upcoming smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, and many other brands. This isn’t just an ordinary chip, as the Snapdragon 8 Elite is packed with over 40 components. But the real power comes from the CPU, which is Qualcomm’s brand new second-generation Oryon CPU.
CPU and Core Architecture
Qualcomm has seriously reworked their CPU architecture. They’re introducing Prime Cores, which are hands down the fastest cores in the industry and these designs are brand new not just recycling what they’ve done before.
What’s interesting is they’ve ditched the “traditional” efficiency cores for more power-focused performance cores. This means you’re getting unmatched speeds and power efficiency – perfect for multitasking, gaming, or any heavy-duty mobile workload.
Gaming Performance
Now, let’s talk gaming! The Snapdragon 8 Elite takes your mobile gaming experience to another level. With Unreal Engine’s Chaos Physics system supported natively, you’re getting real-time simulations with over 9,000 unique objects in the scene. That means smoother gameplay, higher frame rates, and better in-game interactions.
And that’s not all – the new Adreno GPU is based on a sliced architecture, designed specifically for mobile. So, whether you’re playing an intense multiplayer battle or rendering complex scenes, this GPU handles it like a champ. Plus, you get longer gaming sessions with improved power efficiency.
AI Capabilities
Alright, onto AI. Qualcomm is doubling down on on-device AI with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Their AI engine, powered by the new Hexagon NPU, brings some serious upgrades. Think faster inferencing, handling more complex AI models and delivering results almost instantly.
One feature that stands out is their multimodal AI system, where this lets your smartphone’s AI assistant interact with you more naturally, almost like it’s reading your mind. It sees what you see and hears what you hear, thanks to real-time camera and audio integration.
Besides advanced voice prompts, there was a demo on solving advanced equations, just by taking a picture of that, and also taking a picture of a receipt, then asking your phone to split the bill accordingly, the phone will do that seamlessly, thanks to real-time camera and audio integration.
Privacy is key here too, since all of this happens on-device without sending data to the cloud.
Camera Features
Next up, let’s dive into what the Snapdragon 8 Elite means for your smartphone’s camera. Qualcomm introduced the world’s first AI ISP or Image Signal Processor – which is paired directly with their Hexagon NPU and this unlocks new levels of photography and video processing, all in real-time.
During the hands-on demo, AI-enhanced pet photography was shown, where you can capture the best moment, say when your pet is doing something cool like catching a ball, and not only you can choose the the right moment, but also enhance details on the image to create more texture on the motion blur.
So now, you will be able to remove objects from your videos, live! Yes, because AI object erasers for video are now here not only typically for images. Plus, there are also AI-driven autofocus, auto-white balance, and exposure working together to make sure your shots always look on point, no matter the lighting, where you can adjust this after taking a photo and this is extra cool!
Connectivity and Final Thoughts
Finally, Snapdragon 8 Elite takes connectivity to the next level with AI-powered 5G and Wi-Fi, which means smarter and stronger signal management, faster Wi-Fi speeds, and 40% lower power consumption. Perfect for streaming, gaming, and everything in between.
There was no latency even for VR or AR streaming during their demo, so this was perfect for streaming, gaming, and everything in between.
So yes, guys, the Snapdragon 8 Elite isn’t just another upgrade – it’s a full overhaul of your smartphone’s performance, whether you’re into gaming, photography, or using AI to boost your everyday experience. I’m super excited to see this hit the market later this year!
