Qualcomm might be considering a new name for its flagship processor. The company was expected to launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset next month, but new teasers showcase the chipset as the Snapdragon 8 Elite. But is it simply a name change or does the company have bigger plans?
1. Snapdragon 8 Elite: What we know so far
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the direct successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It is touted to be a major upgrade, considering it is moving from the 4nm to the 3nm, the first from the chipmaker. Reports have hinted that the new chip will offer a sizeable 56 percent improvement in performance compared to its predecessor. This bump in graphics performance is thanks to the new Adreno 830 GPU, which may have a 1.25Ghz clock speed and Ray Tracing support.
While a GeekBench listing showed a 4.09GHz boost clock speed, later rumors pointed at the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s two prime core offering frequency as high as 4.37GHz. Meanwhile, there are six efficiency cores that are expected to have a 2.78GHz clock speed. The GeekBench tests also showcased its synthetic benchmarks, scoring 3011 points in the single core test and 9706 points in the multi core test.
On the CPU front, these benchmarks suggest a 35 percent boost in single core performance and a 30 percent upgrade in multi core performance compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Xiaomi 15 and OnePlus 13 are the first to debut with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processors next month, so stick around for more updates.
2. Is “Elite” hinting at something more?
Just a while back, the chipmaker launched the Snapdragon X series of processors for ultrabooks. These include the Snapdragon X Elite for high end performance and battery efficiency on thin and light laptops, while the Snapdragon X Plus launched for more affordable notebooks. Looking at this name, it seems like Qualcomm might be developing chips across different products with similar names just like Apple.
To recall, Apple’s ARM based chips are spread across the A and M series for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. So the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon X Elite might be Qualcomm’s first step in bringing its different chip lines closer. In the future, the newer processors between the mobile and notebook processors may share cutting edge technologies.
For example, Qualcomm showed off impressive NPU scores on the Snapdragon X Elite which is great for AI powered features. Smartphone makers are launching their latest offerings with various AI functions, so even the Snapdragon 8 Elite should likely offer new hardware and optimizations for AI.
