Many 2022 flagship Android phones use Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipsets (or the Plus upgrade), and its successor is rumored to be available before the end of the year, bringing with it a significant upgrade in performance.
That’s according to reliable tipster Digital Chat Station (opens in a new tab) (via Android Central (opens in a new tab)), which says that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will come with an “ultra-high frequency version” capable of clock speeds of up to 3.4-3.5 GHz (compared to the 3.2 GHz we have today).
However, there will be bigger performance improvements in terms of graphics capabilities – improvements that may take graphics performance above anything the Apple A16 Bionic chip in the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max can offer.
More to come in November
Given the very high levels of performance offered by the A16 Bionic chip, the claim that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could do even better – in some phone tasks at least – is certainly a bold one, and one that we cannot verify for the moment. .
Keep in mind that smartphone performance depends on many factors, not just the raw speed of the chipset running it all. Software coding efficiency, amount of available RAM, and thermal management also play an important role.
One of the strengths that Apple leans heavily on when talking about increasing its speeds is the fact that it is in charge of the entire software and hardware design process, without relying on third-party chipmakers. .
Qualcomm is hosting a Snapdragon Summit from November 15-17, where we expect to hear all about the next-gen chipset and what it’s capable of. We should then have a much better idea of ​​how this will affect speeds on 2023’s Android flagships.
Analysis: Which phones will get the upgrade?
While many phone users won’t be aware of the chipset model that’s inside their handsets, most of us care about how fast our smartphones are or not – and that’s why the arrival of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is going to be important.
A quick look at phones running the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers some clues as to which devices might get its successor: the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Xiaomi 12 Pro, OnePlus 10 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 IV and more.
One of the first in line for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could be the OnePlus 11. We expect to see the phone appear in the early months of 2023, with top specs to match the high-end Qualcomm processor. . .
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is also expected to release before too long once we get to 2023. Rumor has it that all regions will get a Snapdragon-powered version of the phone, and that chipset is expected to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.