Highlights
1. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is Qualcomm’s newest flagship chipset designed with Generative AI in mind.
2. The chipset can support up to 24GB of RAM, including LP-DDR5x at up to 4800MHz.
3. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers device display support for 4K @ 60Hz and QHD+ @ 144Hz, as well as external display support for up to 8K @ 30Hz and up to 1080p @ 240Hz.
4. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is expected to be featured in phones from various brands, excluding Samsung and Google.
Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Chipset with Generative AI Focus
Qualcomm recently unveiled its latest flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, at the Snapdragon Tech Summit. This chipset is expected to be featured in many upcoming smartphones. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was designed with Generative AI in mind, which aligns with the growing trend of incorporating AI features into mobile devices.
Noteworthy Specs of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
While the inclusion of Generative AI and the Qualcomm AI Engine is impressive, the most notable aspect of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 lies in its specifications. These specifications offer insights into what we can expect for smartphones in 2023 and 2024. One significant detail is that the chipset supports up to 24GB of RAM, specifically LP-DDR5x at 4800MHz. Samsung has already begun manufacturing 24GB RAM for phones, indicating that this feature will be available soon.
Other interesting tidbits from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 spec sheet include device display support for 4K @ 60Hz and QHD+ @ 144Hz. External display support includes up to 8K @ 30Hz and up to 1080p @ 240Hz. The chipset operates on a 4nm process, the same as its predecessor, but with slight updates from TSMC. Notably, Qualcomm has chosen not to adopt the 3nm process that Apple and MediaTek have embraced.
Partnership and Availability
Qualcomm expects various smartphone manufacturers, including ASUS, HONOR, iQOO, Meizu, NIO, Nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, realme, Redmi, RedMagic, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE, to launch devices featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the coming weeks. However, Samsung and Google are notably absent from this list. While Google has opted for its proprietary Tensor chipset, Samsung’s exclusion does not necessarily mean that the Galaxy S24 will solely rely on Exynos. Last year, a similar situation occurred, where Samsung eventually utilized the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.