Qualcomm has unveiled its latest mobile platforms — the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoCs.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 succeeds the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and Qualcomm said the platform could deliver up to 10% faster CPU performance and 30% improved power efficiency over its predecessor. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, an upgrade on the Snapdragon 778G platform, is touted to offer 20% faster graphics rendering.
Alongside the mobile platforms, the chipmaker has also unveiled its Wireless AR Smart Viewer reference design based on the Snapdragon XR2 platform.
SNAPDRAGON 8+ GEN 1, SNAPDRAGON 7 GEN 1 AVAILABILITY
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform will be used by Asus ROG, Honor, Black Shark, Lenovo, Motorola, iQoo, Nubia, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Redmi, Xiaomi, Vivo, and ZTE. Smartphones based on the platform will debut in the third quarter, Qualcomm said.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 will be available to Oppo, Honor, and Xiaomi smartphones in the second quarter.
SNAPDRAGON 8+ GEN 1 SPECIFICATIONS
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 can clock up to 3.2GHz, helping deliver up to 10% faster CPU performance over the previous generation that debuted in December. The new chip comes with the same architecture of the current flagship Snapdragon model and boasts the same Kryo CPU and Adreno GPU. However, its faster clock speed offers better performance. The US company also claims that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 could offer up to 60 additional minutes of gameplay on a single charge.
For photography, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 comes with the latest Snapdragon Sight technologies that allow 8K HDR video recording and HDR+ support. It includes the 18-bit triple ISP under the hood, claimed to offer up to 64 MP photos.
The processor also has the fourth-generation Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System that brings 5G speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The company has integrated the Snapdragon Sound Technology, which help enable high-resolution music playback, clear voice calls, and superior audio quality while playing videos and games, within the new platform. T
SNAPDRAGON 7 GEN 1 SPECIFICATIONS
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 has been designed with mobile gaming in mind. The chip includes some premium Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, including the Adreno Frame Motion Engine that can doubling the framerate to upscale content. It also supports Quad HD+ display.
The chipmaker has integrated its Spectra triple ISP within the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 platform with support for up to three cameras as well as to take photos with up to 200 MP resolution. The seventh-generation Qualcomm AI Engine brings the Deep Learning Face Detect feature.
The company claims the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 had up to 30% improved AI performance over the Snapdragon 778G SoC, launched in May 2021.
The 4nm process-based platform is also the first Snapdragon 7 series model to come with a Dedicated Trust Management Engine and Android Ready SE for enhanced user security.
QUALCOMM WIRELESS AR SMART VIEWER
Qualcomm unveiled its Wireless AR Smart Viewer reference design that will help equipment and design manufacturers bring new augmented reality (AR) glasses. Based on the Snapdragon XR2 platform, the reference design has a 40% thinner profile and a more ergonomically balanced weight distribution over the AR Smart Viewer design powered by the earlier Snapdragon XR1 platform.
Developed by China-based Goertek, the hardware includes dual micro-OLED binocular display. The glasses also have a no-motion-blur feature for a seamless AR experience.
Qualcomm has integrated its FastConnect 6900 to offer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth support. The reference design, Qualcomm said, could have less than three milliseconds of latency between the connected smartphone and its displays.
The design can be paired with Qualcomm’s FastConnect XR Software Suite.
