Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipsets announced

Qualcomm recently launched new chipsets for Android smartphones, including the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, the barnd’s new flagship chip. Phones powered both these chips are expected to launch later this year. Here’s all you need to know about the new chipsets and their capabilities.
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Snapdragon’s new version of its flagship chipset the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The chipmaker confirms that the new chipset improves upon key issues with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while also improving on its performance. The issues include thermal management and power consumption.
More details on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and the phones it powers are expected to run cooler and more efficiently, taking less of a hit on your battery life. 30 per cent more power efficiency means that a phone running on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 will stream videos for 1 hour 30 minutes longer than one using the old chip, while phone calls will last over 5 hours longer.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 also comes with 10 per cent higher CPU performance. Inside the chip is a Cortex-X2 core which can now reach 3.2GHz, matching the clock speed of the Snapdragon 870, compared to the 3.0GHz clock speed of the X2 core in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The chipset also features 2.75GHz gold cores and 2.0GHz silver cores, both with higher clock counts compared to the predecessor.
Qualcomm also claims the GPU in the 8+ Gen 1 runs at 10 per cent higher frequency while using 30 per cent lesser power. The chipset also gets more efficient wireless modems and the AI Engine now also has 20 per cent better performance per Watt ratio.
The rest of the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is the same as its predecessor. Support for up to 16GB RAM, UFS 3.1 storage and QHD+ and 4K resolution (at 144Hz and 60hz respectively) is present. The Snapdragon X65 5G modem in the chip also claims peak theoretical speeds of up to 10Gbps while Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity means users get support for aptX Lossless and Bluetooth LE Audio. Additionally, there is still the support for up to 200MP cameras and 8K videography.
Qualcomm said that the first phones with the new Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 will be available in the market later this year, beginning from Q3, with brands including OnePlus, Asus ROG, Oppo, Xiaomi and Realme all pegged to launch their own flagships with the new chip.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is the successor to the Snapdragon 700-series chipsets like the Snapdragon 778G. The new chip is a 4nm platform that comes with a Kryo CPU cluster clocked at up to 2.4Ghz along with an Adreno 662 GPU. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 can handle graphics 20 per cent better than the Snapdragon 778G.
More details on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. (Image Source: Qualcomm)
The chip can handle up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and comes with Snapdragon X62 5G which supports 4.4Gbps speeds, along with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Other additions include support for 200MP cameras, 10-bit HEIC photo capture and HEVC video recording. The chip also comes with the Android SE and Trusted Management Engine for better on-device security.
Unlike phones powered the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the new Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 phones are expected to hit the market in a few weeks from now with Oppo expected to debut the chip with the Reno 8 Pro on May 23.