Qualcomm likes to change the nomenclature of its devices every few years, and this year, we have the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, the company’s most powerful and fastest system-on-a-chip ever.
The 8 Elite features a second-generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU and Hexagon NPU. The company says its processor allows users to experience multi-modal generative AI experiences on smartphones with a Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered chip.
According to Qualcomm, the CPU clocks in at 4.32GHz peak speeds, a 45 percent boost in CPU performance and 44 percent improved efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
It also offers 27 percent overall power savings, extending gaming to 2.5 hours. This is perfect for devices likely to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite, like OnePlus’ or Asus’ upcoming handsets.
Speaking of gaming, the Adreno GPU uses a “sliced architecture with dedicated memory for each slice,” which is supposed to give users faster and better performance. The Adreno GPU is also considered to offer a 40 percent performance improvement and greater power efficiency.
This is also the first mobile processor that supports Unreal Engine 5.3 with Nanite, which produces film-quality 3D environments for better immersion. Qualcomm combined the nomenclature for its gaming laptops using the Snapdragon X Elite and the Snapdragon 800 series.
While I love gaming, artificial intelligence is also worth noting in the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This year’s NPU is 45 percent faster and power efficient per watt compared to the NPU in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It also supports longer token inputs, which can use AI to input an entire book chapter—I wish we had this when I was in English class.
And, of course, the Snapdragon 8 Elite has features for photography lovers, such as a video object eraser that can remove unwanted parts from video footage on- the device. It also supports 4K60FPS recording in darkness, as well as real-time insight AI to enhance natural skin and sky tones.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite integrates Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ultra-wideband (UWB), which can help users find lost items, access car doors, and more. The processor also supports Wi-Fi 7 and AI-optimized 5G.
In the coming weeks, we expect to see devices from Samsung, Asus, OnePlus, Oppo, Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi, and more featuring the 8 Elite.
Header image credit: Qualcomm
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