If Qualcomm’s release history can continue, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could be released in Q4 2022. Now, if you’re wondering exactly when the official launch will be, the chipmaker may have left a huge clue.
Qualcomm may launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 two weeks earlier than last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The Snapdragon Summit is an annual conference where Qualcomm showcases the latest technologies it has been working on, including a chipset that will power future Android flagships. This time around, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is expected to appear in high-end phones in 2023, and according to the San Diego chipmaker’s event page, the Snapdragon Summit will take place from Nov. 14 to 17.
Looking back at Qualcomm’s history, flagship mobile SoCs are usually announced on the first day of the Snapdragon Summit, which means the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will likely be unveiled on November 14th. Qualcomm’s phone partners, such as Xiaomi, are also expected to attend the conference, where it may offer a preview of its flagship series powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. In this case, these high-end smartphones will likely be called Mi 13 and 13 Pro.
We may also preview the successor to the Snapdragon 8cx 3, which has yet to be named, but earlier reports have listed this SoC as a competitor to the M1. Qualcomm said earlier that it would use the Nuvia acquisition to enhance the performance of its future chipsets to counter Apple’s M-series. As for what we know about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm will likely stick with TSMC’s 4nm architecture for volume production of its next-generation chips.
TSMC is said to begin mass production of Apple’s M2 Pro and M2 Max later this year using its cutting-edge 3nm technology, but it’s doubtful whether Qualcomm will take advantage of this node until at least next year. Thankfully, with what we’ve seen with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will have better power efficiency and improved performance.
It may also be Qualcomm’s first SoC in years to feature an all-new CPU cluster, ditching the “1 + 3 + 4” core configuration for a “1 + 2 + 2 + 3” configuration. Whether this change will lead to substantial improvements is anyone’s guess, so as always we’ll wait for the actual results to emerge.
More information on this chipset may be available in the coming weeks.
News source: Qualcomm