Qualcomm has officially launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite, set to power numerous flagship smartphones in late 2024. The new chip is expected to feature in devices like the OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 15, iQOO 13, and Realme GT 7 Pro, with many of these phones anticipated to debut between late October and early November.
Qualcomm showcased benchmark results comparing the Snapdragon 8 Elite with its competitors, including Apple’s A18 Pro, Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 “For Galaxy” edition, and Google’s Tensor G4. The tests were conducted on a reference smartphone with top-tier specifications, including a 4.32GHz clock speed Prime CPU core, 24GB LPDDR5X RAM, and a 144Hz AMOLED display.
1. CPU performance:
The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s custom Oryon CPU cores, built on an Arm architecture, demonstrated significant gains. In single-core performance, the chip closely rivaled Apple’s A18 Pro, with only a marginal difference of about 4%. Compared to Google’s Tensor G4, Qualcomm’s new chip showed a remarkable 63% improvement, highlighting its advantage over existing Android processors. However, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s peak clock speed of 4.32GHz is impressive, it remains to be seen how this translates to real-world power efficiency.
In multi-core tests, Qualcomm’s six performance cores helped it surpass Apple’s A18 Pro by 27%, although the Snapdragon 8 Elite has more cores, which gives it a structural edge. Per-core comparisons showed the A18 Pro cores still slightly outpacing the Oryon cores by about 4.5%.
2. GPU performance:
Graphics performance has seen a 40% improvement over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, according to tests like 3DMark’s Wild Life. The Snapdragon 8 Elite’s new GPU design promises to handle even the most demanding games with ease, showing a 34% uplift in advanced graphical effects. Qualcomm has also claimed improved ray-tracing capabilities, though specific benchmarks weren’t provided during the announcement.
3. Expected launch dates for Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered devices
Xiaomi 15 could be one of the first, launching globally by late October. iQOO 13 will debut in China on October 30th and arrive in other regions by early December. The Vivo X200 Ultra is confirmed to feature this chipset, likely launching early next year.
OnePlus 13 is also anticipated around the end of October, followed by global sales. Realme GT 7 Pro is rumored to launch in November. For those interested, here’s the full list of devices powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite.
4. Conclusion:
While Qualcomm’s benchmarks present promising results, it’s essential to take these numbers with caution. Reference devices often perform slightly better than retail units, so real-world tests will determine if the Snapdragon 8 Elite can maintain its impressive gains across various smartphone brands. More insights are expected during the Snapdragon Summit, where hands-on experience with Snapdragon 8 Elite devices might reveal additional details.
(Via)
