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Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 sounds like the Goldilocks of midrange chipsets
Nestled right in between its two predecessors
It’s not always about the gasps. Sometimes, it’s about the moments in between the gasps that truly define a story. For Qualcomm and its next chipset for mobile devices, that rings true. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC was announced just under a month ago to ravenous applause — even if we think that some of the improvements on the chip are pointless when mobile gaming remains so lackluster — that chip will only go into the very best of phones that Samsung and the like have to offer. For the majority of the world’s population who either don’t have the funds or the desire to buy into flagship smartphones, the mid-range lines exist. Those phones, too, need chipsets. That’s where the newly-announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 comes into play.
In October, we reported on the rumor that the Exynos-Snapdragon split among different models of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 was coming. This was all too familiar news for Samsung users, those of which had to deal with the Samsung Galaxy S22 days of the split. Depending on where you lived, you could only get either the Samsung-created Exynos 2200 as the SoC or the Qualcomm-created Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. After rumors swirled for months, Qualcomm indirectly gave us confirmation that the complex issue has returned with strength this time around.
Xiaomi's innovative solution keeps 32-bit apps alive on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
The Xiaomi 14 series defies chipset limitations with a unique workaround
Qualcomm just announced the chip that will power most Android flagships released over the course of the next year, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is so much more than just an iterative update — it's an AI powerhouse that could even challenge Google's Tensor series with its neural processing power. Amazingly, it even managed to do all of this without significantly increasing its price point, something we doubt will be said about the 8 Gen 4 in 2025.
The Xiaomi 14 will be the first phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
The company made a surprise announcement at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit
We already knew that the Xiaomi 14 series would make its debut later this week, but the company's president just dropped a pretty big bombshell at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit 2023: it will be the first line of phones to ship with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13, used a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, so you might think this was expected — but with this year's model being announced earlier than last year's, it seemed like it might miss out on Qualcomm's next-gen chip. Evidently, it was right on time.
Latest leak offers clarity on the Galaxy S24's Exynos-Snapdragon situation
Is this a step backwards from the Galaxy S23's all-Snapdragon lineup?
Samsung has been gearing up for its next mainline smartphone in the Galaxy series, the Samsung Galaxy S24, for a long time now. The company’s current flagship offerings in the Galaxy S23 series offer some of the best phones in the Android side of the industry, especially when talking about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. When looking towards the future, however, it seems like it’s just another day, another rumor about what Samsung is going to do about the Galaxy S24 line’s processor. The newest rumors point to a stark split globally regarding whether you’ll be able to purchase the phone with an Exynos or Snapdragon chip inside.
Qualcomm's next Snapdragon chip has just surfaced, but it's not for your phone
The next big step up in ARM laptops might be close
Qualcomm's smartphone chips are great, but the company is also leading the charge with ARM laptop silicon as well, powering some of the best Chromebooks and laptops. Yet, some of its offerings have been due for an upgrade. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, one of Qualcomm's higher-end chips for laptops, was released in late 2021. We're due for a successor already — rumors about the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 have been floating for months. An engineering sample might have just been tested out in the wild, potentially letting us in on some key details about the upcoming chip, as well as on some (maybe) disappointing news.
Qualcomm is now letting some lucky people test the latest Snapdragon-powered devices
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Insiders Access program is now open for application
Qualcomm's recent fan-building initiatives did little to match the efforts made by Intel and AMD to build a rabid following for their CPUs. For example, the company launched the Snapdragon Insiders program in 2021 to engage with customers by sharing new product announcements and smartphone photography tips. A few months later, a $1,500 smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders was released, albeit without the company’s greatest processor at the time: the Snapdragon 888+. The phone had Snapdragon badges all over it, but it didn't push Qualcomm's technology any further than any other major Android phone, so it was hardly worth the high price. Qualcomm has come up with a new set of perks for Snapdragon Insiders, one that will give them early access to a wide variety of new Snapdragon-powered devices.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 leak spills the beans on Qualcomm's midrange rebrand
Qualcomm's next rebranded chip is for cheaper phones
Last year, Qualcomm switched up its branding by changing its long-standing Snapdragon naming scheme. Instead of having three-digit CPU names, the company opted for something simpler, starting with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The first number indicates the chip range, while the second indicates the generation it belongs to. Since Qualcomm introduced its new branding, we've seen three chips — the 8 Gen 1, the 8+ Gen 1, and the mid-range 7 Gen 1. Soon, a new, even lower-end member will join the family.
Samsung and Qualcomm extend and expand their partnership, casting doubt on the future of Exynos
The news follows rumors saying that Samsung will go Snapdragon-only going forward
Exynos processors have definitely seen better days. Since the Exynos-only Galaxy S6 was released in 2015, Samsung's chips have increasingly lagged behind Qualcomm's Snapdragon SoCs year after year, something the company is undoubtedly aware of. Over the past few weeks, rumors arose that Samsung will go Snapdragon-only, at least for its flagships, starting next year. Adding weight to those initial reports is a newly expanded partnership announced by Samsung and Qualcomm that promises, among other things, more Snapdragon-powered devices.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 launch date confirmed, and it’s earlier than expected
The annual Snapdragon Summit will take place weeks earlier than usual
We’re only gradually seeing the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset appear inside smartphones, yet our attention is already being diverted to the next-gen internals we’ll see in the top-end phones of 2023. Smartphone chipset maker Qualcomm has confirmed the dates for its next big launch event, and it’s likely to be where we see the introduction of the rumored Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. We expect that to power some of the biggest flagship smartphones of next year, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 and OnePlus 11.
Qualcomm may launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 slightly earlier than usual
Qualcomm mistakenly revealed dates for its next Snapdragon Summit
Qualcomm has historically released its flagship chipsets at the tail end of the year, usually holding a press junket in Hawaii during the first week of December. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 was announced last December 1, the Snapdragon 888 went public the same date a year before while the Snapdragon 865 did not come to the fore until December 4, 2019. However, new leaks suggest that Qualcomm might break tradition and release the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip a few weeks earlier.
Qualcomm soups up its flagship Snapdragon chip to run faster and use less power
The 8+ Gen 1 is basically the same chip but made by TSMC, and the 700 series joins the "Gen" party
Qualcomm has just revealed two new chips you can anticipate seeing on spec sheets for upcoming Android phones. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is brand new, bringing the 700 series into the “Gen” era, and bound for just-sub-flagship phones more of us can afford. But the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a return to the out-of-cycle flagship chip refresh, upgrading Qualcomm’s best chipset with a new TSMC node that delivers a small clock speed bump and power improvements.
Qualcomm announces May 20 event, and it may bring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus
It may also lift the curtains on the much-awaited Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip
Read update
Barring Samsung and Huawei phones, chipsets in the Android world are virtually limited to one of two choices — Qualcomm or MediaTek — and the options only thin as you enter the flagship realm where the former enjoys near-total domination. But the competition's been fast warming up, with MediaTek's latest offerings giving the other chipmakers a run for their money. To one-up that and quite possibly improve on the shortcomings of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Qualcomm's now teased a new event for this week — and it's expected to launch an update to its flagship processor.
Oppo Reno8 could be the first phone to feature the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip
Could we see actually impressive performance this time?
Oppo’s Reno series has been a bit of a fan favorite since its introduction back in 2019, owing its following largely to its design-first approach. Performance usually takes the back seat to unconventional design flourishes: The original Reno featured a weird pivot-hinge selfie camera while the latest model – the Reno7 Pro – features an honest-to-goodness notification light. But now, a new rumor points to possible upgrades in the performance department with the next generation.
Qualcomm's upcoming 7-series chipset shows the gap between flagship and mid-range segments is ever shrinking
All the power you'll need — and then some
Whether you're grabbing the OnePlus 10 Pro or any of Samsung's Galaxy S22 series, it's easy to get your hands on a device powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. It looks like we won't have to wait much longer to see the 7-series chips in action, as a new leak showcases exactly what to expect from its next mid-range processors.
Qualcomm wants your next Volvo or Honda to be a smart car
Its Snapdragon Cockpit platform will power Android Automotive
Google has had its eyes focused on cars for a while now, continuing development on phone-based solutions like Assistant Driving Mode and the in-dash version of Android Auto. Meanwhile, it's also continued to build Android Automotive, an entire operating system designed to integrate with every aspect of your vehicle. It's been a slow expansion, but with new partnerships between Qualcomm and various car companies, some major advancements are coming to the car company's next-gen electric vehicles.
Qualcomm has a solution for 'stingray' devices hijacking your cell connection, and apps will be able to use it too
Modem-level features to detect them meet a new set of APIs for apps — coming soon
You probably don’t wake up in the morning worried that your phone is going to outright betray you. Malware and security snafus are one thing, but updates keep that boogeyman away. And even though we read about bad guys caught by Stingrays and dirtboxes (false cell towers), that’s just something authorities use to keep us safe — right? Whatever your opinion on that can of worms that I probably shouldn’t have mentioned, it’s also getting easier for criminals to build them now, too. A demo cell site at Qualcomm’s recent event even caught an analyst’s phone. But companies like Qualcomm have been working on ways to mitigate that.
The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is all about big cameras, fast connections, and AI
Qualcomm's next SoC is almost here
There's no question that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 was a major step forward for smartphone performance, but it was far from a perfect chipset. Plenty of users and developers alike found the 888 running fast and hot, with OnePlus going so far as to throttle the chip in its flagship phones to improve battery life. With 2022 on the horizon, Qualcomm is looking to make Snapdragon the star of the show, with a new naming scheme and a clearer brand identity. Ultimately, all that matters is whether the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can push a new hardware lineup forward.
Snapdragon chips are ditching the number salad for a naming scheme you'll be able to follow
Qualcomm is separating itself from its branding
If you're reading this on an Android phone right now, chances are it's powered by one of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors. The brand has become synonymous with mobile devices in recent years, despite the company's portfolio of technology branching far outside chipsets. Starting today, Qualcomm is spinning the Snapdragon name into its own product, separating it from the company at large, resulting in all-new model names for its upcoming chipsets.
Get to know Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon chips that may end up powering your next phone
Nokia, Oppo, and Xiaomi have specific plans for some of these new SoCs
We might be in a chip shortage, but Qualcomm isn't afraid of pumping new product down the line. Four new Snapdragon chipsets have been announced and we know which smartphone manufacturers will be getting them.