Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is now official: Features all-new ray tracing, AV1 codec, and more

Qualcomm next-generation Snapdragon Gen 2 mobile platform was finally unveiled at Snapdragon Summit 2022. This is unusual for the chipset manufacturer, as Qualcomm’s flagship chipset is usually unveiled in December. But here we are, with the new flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset bringing new improvements, particularly in core design and AI. To learn more, please see the information provided below.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2: Features

• The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which replaces the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from last year, features a Kryo CPU with a prime core clocked at up to 3.2 GHz, four performance cores clocked at up to 2.8 GHz, and three efficiency cores clocked at up to 2.0 GHz.
• The Snapdragon chipset has received the most significant upgrade this year, with the 8 Gen 2 switching from a 1+3+4 CPU architecture to a 1+4+3 CPU architecture.
• The new chipset offers a 35% performance improvement over the 8th Gen. 1 thanks to more performance cores. T
• The linked article contains in-depth information about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
• It can also accommodate up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM.

The new Qualcomm AI Engine, powered by the Qualcomm Hexagon Processor, is the main attraction. This enables features such as multi-language translation and transcription, as well as AI-powered camera features. There is support for INT4, an AI precision format that improves performance and wattage by up to 60%.

Another interesting upgrade is that Snapdragon Elite Gaming now supports hardware-based ray tracing (much like the recently announced MediaTek Dimensity 9200 SoC). The SoC includes the new Qualcomm Adreno 740 GPU, which is 25% faster and 40% more efficient. Unreal Engine 5’s Metahumans Framework and Vulkan 1.3 APIs are supported.

The Qualcomm Spectra 18-bit triple cognitive ISP, which enhances images and videos with semantic segmentation, is supported for imaging. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 supports up to 200 MP cameras (take 36 MP photos with all three cameras at the same time), 8K HDR videos, and more.

The Qualcomm 5G AI Processor in the Snapdragon X70 5G Modem-RF System aims to achieve high 5G speeds. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the world’s first commercial SoC to include a dedicated 5G AI processor, as well as the first commercial SoC to support Wi-Fi 7. It also has 5G dual-SIM dual-active support (DSDA). Bluetooth version 5.3 and Bluetooth LE are among the other connectivity options.

Furthermore, the 8 Gen 2 includes Snapdragon Sound technology, Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Snapdragon Secure for enhanced Face Unlock, and other features. GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and even India’s NavIC are all supported.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (SM8550): Quick Specs

• 1 x Kryo Prime CPU (Arm Cortex-X3 based) at up to 3.2GHz, 4 x Kryo Performance CPUs (2 x Arm Cortex-A715 and 2 x Arm Cortex-A710 based) at up to 2.8GHz, 3x Kryo Efficiency CPUs (Arm Cortex-A510 based) at up to 2GHz, ARMv9 architecture
• 4nm Process Technology
• Built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 5G modem-RF system
• 5G speeds of up to 10Gpbs down, 5G mmWave and sub-6 GHz, standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) modes, mmWave: 1000 MHz bandwidth, 8 carriers, 2×2 MIMO, Sub-6 GHz: 300 MHz bandwidth, 4×4 MIMO, Qualcomm 5G PowerSave Gen 3, Qualcomm Smart Transmit 3.0 technology, Qualcomm Wideband Envelope Tracking, Qualcomm 5G Ultra-Low Latency Suite. Global 5G multi-SIM, including 5G-5G/4G DualSIM Dual-Active (DSDA)
• Qualcomm Adreno next-gen GPU, Vulkan 1.3 API support, HDR gaming (10-bit color depth, Rec. 2020 color gamut), API Support: OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0 FP, Vulkan 1.3, Real-time Hardware-Accelerated Ray Tracing
• Hardware-accelerated H.265 and VP9 decoder, HDR Playback Codec support for HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision
• Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec, New Qualcomm Aqstic smart speaker amplifier, Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD+N), Playback: -108dB, Qualcomm Audio and Voice Communication Suite, Spatial Audio with Head Tracking
• Up to 36 MP triple camera, Up to 64+36 MP dual camera, Up to 108 MP single camera with ZSL, Up to 200MP single camera, Qualcomm Spectra Image Sensor Processor (Cognitive 18-bit triple-ISP)
• Rec. 2020 color gamut photo and video capture, Up to 10-bit color depth photo and video capture, 8K HDR Video Capture + 64 MP Photo Capture
  10-bit HEIF: HEIC photo capture, HEVC video capture, Video Capture Formats: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, 8K HDR Video Capture @ 30 FPS, 4K Video Capture @ 120 FPS, Slow-mo video capture at 720p @ 960 FPS, Bokeh Engine 2 for Video Capture, Pro Sight Video Capture , Video super resolution, Multi-frame Noise Reduction (MFNR), Locally Motion Compensated Temporal Filtering, Multi-Frame and triple exposure staggered/digital, overlap HDR dual sensor support, AI-based face detection, auto-focus, and auto-exposure
• On-Device Display Support: 4K at 60 Hz / QHD+ at 144 Hz, Maximum External Display Support: up to 4K @ 60 Hz, 10-bit color depth, Rec. 2020 color gamut, HDR10 and HDR10+, Demura and subpixel rendering for OLED Uniformity
• Qualcomm Hexagon Processor, Fused AI Accelerator, Hexagon Tensor Accelerator, Hexagon Vector eXtensions, Hexagon Scalar Accelerator, Support for mix precision (INT8+INT16), Support for all precisions (INT4, INT8, INT16, FP16), Micro Tile Inferencing
• Support for LP-DDR5x memory up to 4200 MHz
• Wi-Fi 7 Peak speed: 5.8 Gbps, Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) Multi-gigabit, Integrated 802.11ac 2×2 (2-stream) MU-MIMO, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, LE Audio, Dual Bluetooth antennas
• Bluetooth audio: Snapdragon Sound Technology with support for Qualcomm aptX Voice, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and LE audio, NFC
• GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC capable, Dual Frequency GNSS (L1/L5), Sensor-Assisted Positioning, Urban pedestrian navigation with sidewalk accuracy, Global freeway lane-level vehicle navigation
•  USB 4.0, USB-C
• Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 technology

Availability

By the end of 2022, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset will be available in phones from OnePlus, Motorola, iQOO, Xiaomi, Asus, Oppo, Sony, Redmi, and other OEMs. Qualcomm’s new chipset is expected to power the upcoming Vivo X90 Pro+, iQOO 11, Xiaomi 13, Samsung Galaxy S23 series, and other Android flagships.