What you need to know
- Rumors have surfaced about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC.
- The leak states the chip (model SM8750) may feature a 2+6 ARM dual-core setup.
- It's speculated the chip could use Qualcomm's new internally developed Nuvia CPU.
- The SD 8 Gen 4 isn't expected until 2024.
The excitement surrounding Qualcomm's future chip release is apparent as leaks have already started to appear about an upcoming Snapdragon SoC's possible changes.
Known Chinese Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station's recent post speculates the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 may use Qualcomm's internally developed Nuvia CPU. If this proves true, this would be the first Snapdragon SoC to utilize this new Nuvia technology for the CPU.
Allegedly, the new chip has been given model number SM8750 and opts for a dual 2+6 setup.
Qualcomm acquired chip startup Nuvia in 2021 and saw it as a way of lowering its dependence on ARM for CPUs for its Snapdragon chips. Cristiano Amon, President and then-CEO-Elect of Qualcomm, saw the acquisition as a way to "deliver a new class of products and experiences for the 5G era." If this rumor proves true, the SD 8 Gen 4 could be the start of those new experiences.
As a reminder, the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC uses a Kryo CPU which works to improve a phone's performance by around 35% and its battery efficiency by around 40%. The company's late 2022 release also contained one prime core, four performance cores, and three efficiency cores (1+4+3 setup). Hearing the latest rumors, it looks like Qualcomm may be interested in doing away with the singular large prime core and opting for more performance and efficiency with the SD 8 Gen 4.
This leak is quite early, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 isn't expected until late 2024, so take it with a grain of salt. Qualcomm is also likely to use the new cores in PC chips first, so we may see it arrive with the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4.
Meanwhile, facing our more immediate future are rumors surrounding the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is expected to release in late 2023. Qualcomm's upcoming chip is expected to show support for 64-bit-only smartphones as its new cores will apparently drop support for 32-bit.
This new mobile platform still may look to deliver a triple core setup much like its predecessor, as rumors see it featuring a 1+5+2 core structure. This breaks its internal core setup into one super-large core, five large cores, and power-efficient cores. Furthermore, it looks like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could clock speeds at around 3.7GHz which is a bit faster than the company's previous chip launch.
Release expectations are vague, although the SD 8 Gen 3 may launch somewhere around October 2023.
