Chipset making giant Qualcomm Technologies Inc. on Monday introduced the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, expanding the coveted capabilities of the 8 series to a wider range of Android flagship smartphones, thus, ensuring exceptional premium experiences. Key features of this cutting-edge platform encompass robust on-device generative AI functionalities, a continuously monitoring Image Signal Processor (ISP), immersive mobile gaming with hyper-realistic visuals, revolutionary connectivity, and lossless high-definition audio. Additionally, the platform accommodates various AI models, including popular large language models (LLM) like Baichuan-7B, Llama 2, Gemini Nano, and Zhipu ChatGLM.
The modem has been updated to the Snapdragon X70 modem, replacing the X75 used in the 8 Gen 3. While the 8s Gen 3 features 4K HDR video capture instead of 8K HDR capture, it maintains the 18-bit triple Image Signal Processor (ISP) from the 8 Gen 3. Additionally, the Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Mobile Connectivity System remains intact, providing Wi-Fi 7 capabilities with speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps, along with dual Bluetooth connectivity for seamless and sustained immersion.
While Real-time Hardware-Accelerated Ray Tracing is available, Global Illumination is absent. Moreover, it does not support Unreal Engine 5 Lumen Global Illumination and Reflections System, a feature found in the 8 Gen 3. This is due to the change in the GPU, which provides performance comparable to the Adreno GPU found in the 8 Gen 2.
“With capabilities including on-device generative AI and advanced photography features, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is designed to enhance user experiences, fostering creativity and productivity in their daily lives,” Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., said in a statement.
The new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 will be adopted by key smartphone OEMS including Honor, iQoo, Realme, Redmi and Xiaomi with the first device expected to be launched in March.
“We’re elated to introduce the latest addition to our premium Snapdragon 8-series, our most premium mobile offering, bringing a host of exceptional specially selected capabilities to more consumers," Patrick added.