Qualcomm Corporation today announced specifications for its flagship next-generation chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, that will power most of the flagship smartphones launching over the next year.
And the American technology giant said in a statement: The new chip will provide better and more effective performance of tasks related to artificial intelligence.
New improvements to the chip include an updated AI-focused Hexagon processor, a smarter image processor, and a new modem designed for optimal 5G performance. It also features support for the seventh version of wireless networks: Wi-Fi 7.
Compared to the first generation, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the new Gen 2 chip’s Kryo CPU has a single core with Arm Cortex-X3 architecture and a frequency of 3.2 GHz. There are also four performance cores at 2.8GHz and three efficiency cores at 2.0GHz. All are faster than the cores of last year’s chip by between 200 and 300MHz.
Also compared to the previous generation, Qualcomm says: The CPU is 35 percent faster in performance and 40 percent more energy efficient. Similarly, the Adreno GPU is 25 percent faster and 45 percent more energy efficient. The new chip is made with 4nm technology, similar to Gen 1.
The American company added: It has made comprehensive improvements to the Hexagon processor to become 4.35 times faster in terms of artificial intelligence performance. According to the company, the processor is now able to handle more complex tasks, such as: translating a language into multiple other languages in real-time.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the first SoC to support Wi-Fi 7 networks, thanks to the Snapdragon X70 modem that was announced at MWC earlier this year. And by using the artificial intelligence processor, the modem can enhance the coverage and speed of 5G networks.
The Snapdragon X70 modem supports Dual Active 5G SIMs, which means that two different 5G networks can be used simultaneously.
With regard to sound capabilities, the chip supports dynamic surround sound, meaning that the sound moves with the user when he moves his head if he is using compatible earphones. And for gaming capabilities, the chip supports real-time ray tracing technology, which allows for more realistic reflections and lights.
Thanks to the Spectra Image Signal Processor, which the company now calls Cognitive ISP, the chip can use real-time semantic segmentation to perform better processing of images and videos. This helps the imaging system to recognize different types of objects in an image and to apply an appropriate adjustment to the image.
In theory, this feature helps the camera distinguish between objects, such as faces, hair, and the sky, and make color adjustments for each one while taking a picture.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is also tuned to support new image sensors from Sony and Samsung, the two companies that make the sensors of almost all smartphones.
The chip also supports 8K video recording and playback, but on the device itself, and externally, if the device is connected to an external screen, the maximum is 4K.
Qualcomm stated that the list of companies that will include the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in its phones includes: Motorola, Oppo, and Asus. The company added that the chip will appear in smartphones before the end of the current year 2022.
