Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform is their most powerful smartphone chip. On October 22nd, the company announced the chip and presented it as 45% faster than previous processors and less power-consuming.
AI features also exist to make your apps smarter and improve your photos, while the graphics are so good they bring console-quality gaming to your phone.
Snapdragon 8 Elite is confirmed to be Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
The next generation of phones will surpass our imaginations with what Qualcomm has in store. The company recently announced its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor at the Snapdragon Summit 2024, and it builds on previous Snapdragon models with better features.
You’d have expected Qualcomm to name the next top chip in a straightforward sequence as they did with the Snapdragon Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3. But with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, they’re breaking from that pattern to show users that their chips cut above others. It’s not just in the name.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is basically a renamed version of what was rumored to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. The Xiaomi 15 series was previously confirmed to be the first phone collection to launch the Gen 4 chip, as is tradition for the company to do so in partnership with Qualcomm.
At the Summit, both companies confirmed that the series will debut with the Elite version. The Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro, and Xiaomi 15 Ultra will launch on October 23.
Snapdragon 8 Elite transforms phones into a compact PC
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the first from Qualcomm to use the newly designed Oryon CPU, which was introduced in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips for PCs like the Microsoft Surface Pro 11. You can imagine bringing that same advanced power to smartphones.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform represents the pinnacle of Snapdragon innovation—our industry-leading mobile platform. With Qualcomm Oryon CPU debuting in our mobile roadmap, we are delivering unprecedented performance. This significance deserves a new, special, most premium variant of our leading 8 series—Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Qualcomm
The display specs for the chip alone reveal its ability to handle both on-device and external screens with impressive visual quality. The on-device display can support up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, and for QHD+ screens, it supports a refresh rate of up to 240Hz.
The chip uses 3-nanometer technology and has support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 with a USB Type-C port, allowing you to move data quickly and connect to accessories easily. The chipset supports UFS 4.0 storage, which means faster read and write speeds for apps and files.
It also supports dual-channel LP-DDR5X and can reach speeds up to 5.3GHz. With 24GB of memory, you’ve got plenty of room to multitask without any slowdowns. AI is also not far from its future, as it uses the Qualcomm AI Engine to help phones understand and respond to commands quickly and the Adreno GPU for better graphical performance.
Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers great performance & 320MP visuals
The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s AI capabilities extend to phone cameras and make it easier to take professional photos even when you’re not a pro. In video recording expect support for three cameras simultaneously, so you can switch between different angles.
It can capture incredibly detailed images with resolutions up to 320MP. The highest we know of is the 200MP lens on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. So, that’s pretty impressive.
Among other phones, the upcoming GT 7 Pro will also use the new chip and will launch in November next month. It will be available in over ten markets globally, including India, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, and Thailand.