Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Specifications and Features - Here’s Everything You Need to Know
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brings notable power efficiency improvements to the table. According to Qualcomm, the new Kryo CPU delivers 35 percent increased performance, coupled with up to 40 percent higher efficiency. Surprisingly, the core clock speeds are the same as the ones running in the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, but the configuration is different. For instance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 now features the Cortex-X3 core running at 3.20GHz, along with four performance operating at 2.80GHz. After that, you have three efficiency cores to handle the less demanding tasks and run at 2.00GHz. The latest Adreno GPU promises up to 25 percent higher performance, along with 45 percent improved power savings. Not just this, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 gets support for the latest in graphics technologies, such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing and the first GPU to support Vulkan 1.3 and OpenGL ES 3.2. LPDDR5X memory support up to 4,200MHz has also been added, along with UFS 4.0 storage, allowing for a more responsive smartphone paired with higher read and write speeds. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can also drive displays up to 144Hz at a QHD+ resolution or a 4K panel at up to 60Hz. The chipset finally gets AV1 support as well, improving video streaming. Speaking of video streaming, the new silicon can playback 8K video at 60FPS, highlighting its prowess in this area. Coming to the cameras, previously, we said that Samsung’s new 200MP HP3 sensor has been customized to operate with this chipset, and that is true, but it will also work seamlessly with Sony hardware. A triple 18-bit ISP (Image Signal Processor) can handle up to three 36MP primary cameras in unison or up to a single 200MP unit. For zero shutter lag, Qualcomm recommends 108MP sensors. For video recording, 8K HDR footage at 30FPS is present, up from 8K 24FPS last year. High-framerate video capture of 120FPS is also supported at 4K, with 720p video going as high as 960FPS. In terms of connectivity, Qualcomm represents the very best in wireless technology. It comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 5G modem, supporting mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, with peak downlink speeds of 10Gbps and uplink speeds of 3.5Gbps. Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) networks will work with the chipset, and the new FastConnect 78000 standard helps top out speeds at 5.8Gbps, up from 3.6Gbps on the previous-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity is present, and with it, support for 48kHz lossless streaming.
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Qualcomm says that its new Hexagon processors bring a new INT4 format for the first time on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and brings 60 percent better performance per watt than previous generation techniques.
Which Smartphone Companies Will Start Using the New SoC?
Around 16 of Qualcomm’s smartphone partners have pledged to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and will launch flagships soon. The list of phone brands is given below:
ASUS ROG Honor iQOO Motorola nubia OnePlus OPPO Red Magic Sharp Sony Vivo Xiaomi Meizu ZTE
For some reason, there is no mention of Samsung, even though Qualcomm stated in an earlier financials call that the Korean giant would exclusively use its chipset for the next high-end Galaxy smartphone lineup, which is the Galaxy S23. We are excited to see how this new launch holds up against the A16 Bionic and, of course, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9200, so we will keep you updated when fresh benchmark results arrive, so stay tuned.
