Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 launch date, specs and cellphone rumors

Qualcomm could not have launched its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 till November 2022, however improvement of its successor is already underway.

Here is every little thing we all know in regards to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 up to now, together with confirmed details about the Snapdragon X75 5G modem and the newest Arm CPU cores.

When will the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 be launched?

We have no official date confirming when the brand new chip will arrive but, however Qualcomm has been setting a reasonably common launch schedule over the previous few years, so we expect it is extremely probably that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will likely be launched in November or December 2023.

This may be in line with all Snapdragon 8 cellular processors, which debuted across the similar time:

We have not heard any stories that this schedule has been disrupted, so it seems good for a winter launch this 12 months.

In February, the leaked digital chat station prompt on Weibo that the 8 Gen 3 would launch sooner than the 8 Gen 2, so earlier than November. If that's the case, that does not depart a lot time for Qualcomm to launch the anticipated 8+ Gen 2 chip for its semi-annual chipset replace, similar to it did in Could 2022 with the 8+ Gen 1.

Too many chips, you may say.

What new options will we see within the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3?

We do not know for positive what to anticipate within the 8 Gen 3 chipset, however due to element bulletins and some leaks, we expect now we have a reasonably good concept for just a few bits.

3nm arm processors

Chip designer Arm has now unveiled its newest processors, and its first designed for a 3nm course of, and these will virtually definitely seem within the 8 Gen 3.

The Cortex-X4 is the largest, delivering 15% extra energy than the earlier technology with as much as 40% improved energy effectivity. It is joined within the new technology by the A720 and A520, which every promise improved effectivity of round 20% year-on-year.

In 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm outfitted its Kryo processor design with a 1+4+3 configuration, utilizing an X3, two every of the A715 and A710, and a trio of A510 effectivity cores.

If we see the identical once more, 8 Gen 3 must be led by the primary Cortex-X4 core, supported by 4 A720 cores or a mixture of them and A715 models, and at last complemented by three of the brand new A520 chips.

That stated, we have heard the alternative. Typically dependable tipster Digital Chat Station reported in April that the 8 Gen 3 will use a brand new 1+5+2 configuration, led by an X4 clocked at 3.7GHz (in comparison with 3.2GHz within the 8's X3). Gen 2). That will imply a transfer to much more efficiency cores – probably the A720 – and fewer effectivity models.

Once more, in that very same report, the leaker claimed that Qualcomm would persist with a 4nm course of – and since we all know the brand new Arm chips are for 3nm manufacturing, that does not appear proper, throwing the remainder of the claims doubted as effectively. We could, nevertheless, see a 3nm processor built-in right into a chipset together with different 4nm elements.

Nonetheless, there was hypothesis about shifting to a 3nm course of. Samsung was the primary to succeed in this measurement, however initially it could have solely managed to realize 20% yield per wafer, which is clearly not environment friendly and would drive up CPU costs. Qualcomm has now reportedly transferred manufacturing to Taiwanese producer TSMC, which has managed a a lot larger yield of 75-80%.

Samsung has improved its output although, as GSMArena says that after the Korean big partnered with US-based Silicon Frontline Expertise, the yield jumped to round 60-70%.

This has all culminated in numerous stories indicating that manufacturing will both be by way of TSMC or a mixture of the 2. Solely time will inform who will make the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

So what's going to a 3nm course of do to justify all this trouble? Effectively, GizChina stories that the brand new course of ought to ship improved efficiency, in addition to a major 35% enchancment in energy effectivity, with its apparent battery life advantages.

Adreno 750 GPU

We all know much less in regards to the 8 Gen 3's GPU. Digital Chat Station reported that it could be known as the Adreno 750, however past that there is little info.

Arm has unveiled the GPUs to associate with its newest processors, and the flagship is the Immortalis-G720, with 15% improved efficiency over its predecessor. Nonetheless, Qualcomm has historically designed its personal GPUs quite than utilizing Arm's Mali and Immortalis designs, so we're unlikely to see that within the new Snapdragon.

Snapdragon X75 5G Modem

The official announcement of the Snapdragon X75, Qualcomm's newest 5G modem, is an enormous trace at the usual satellite tv for pc connectivity on the 8 Gen 3 – though removed from confirmed.

Introduced in February 2023, the X75 is the newest next-gen 5G modem element that Qualcomm tends to announce this time of 12 months forward of its flagship chipsets. The X70 launched in February 2022 and located its approach into the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in November, strongly hinting that the X75 will duly make its approach into the 8 Gen 3.

Qualcomm claims the X75 is the world's first 5G Superior-ready modem-RF system. Translation: Its transceiver can singularly deal with millimeter wave and sub-6-band 5G, making ready it for the evolution of 5G networks that use each frequencies.

The corporate says this design can result in important value and power financial savings, two issues that smartphone makers wish to reap the benefits of.

The X75 can be stated so as to add 2.5x sooner AI processing in comparison with the X70, and options dual-active dual-SIM know-how to permit two simultaneous 5G knowledge connections.

It additionally appears apparent that the chip will embrace assist for the brand new Snapdragon Satellite tv for pc know-how introduced by Qualcomm at CES 2023, enabling emergency communications with out a regular cellular sign – and probably even fundamental two-way messaging. That is in actual fact already included within the 8 Gen 2 and has been made out there to producers for inclusion in new handsets, so it appears sure that it'll additionally seem within the subsequent technology.

Which telephones will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3?

Clearly, with the discharge date nonetheless a good distance off, we haven't any confirmed stories of which telephones will include the Gen 3 chip on board, however primarily based on previous historical past, we will make some assured predictions.

With the earlier technology, a few of the first gadgets out of the gate have been the Vivo X90 Professional+, Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Professional and OnePlus 11. We might be fairly positive that the successors to those telephones can even be dashing to get the brand new silicon. of their flagships for 2024.

Like most years, the Qualcomm processor can be anticipated to be included into many different flagships, together with firms similar to Samsung, Motorola and Oppo.

To see which telephones the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-equipped telephones must beat, try our present decide of the very best smartphones, in addition to the very best telephones coming in 2023.