Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8s Gen 3: Generative AI, 3.0GHz max clock speed, Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0!

After weeks of teasing, Qualcomm reveals the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor.

Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 logo

A new high-end chip from Qualcomm!

Qualcomm chips are organized by number, but there are also "plus" and "s" versions which determine if it's stronger or weaker. This time, we the company reveal the 8s Gen 3 which includes some elements of the flagship processor SD8G3 but with a lesser price.

The 8s Gen 3 uses 4nm lithography and comprises of Cortex X4 prime core clock at 3.0GHz, 4x performance cores with 2.8GHz speed, and 3x efficiency cores at 2.0GHz. Furthermore, the chip supports up to 24GB LPDDR5X RAM with a clock speed of 4200MHz and UFS 4.0 storage. It also supports USB 3.1 G2 USB-C connectivity.

While it bears the "flagship" moniker as said by Qualcomm, this is a weaker version which is also evident in its clock speeds.

RAM capability is less far from 8 Gen 2, while the older Snapdragon X70 5G modem replaces the X75. Qualcomm states that the 8s Gen 3 integrates 5G power savings and 3GPP Release 17, which the 8 Gen 2 cannot. In any case, phones will benefit from higher bandwidth and reduced latency as the chip is compatible with the latest WiFi 7 standard. For audio, Auracast and 15-bit 44.1kHz lossless wireless streaming are supported.

The features

Among its primary spotlight is the Generative AI. It can operate popular AI models such as Llama 2, Baichuan-7B, and Gemini Nano. Models containing up to ten billion parameters are supported. Although this "s variant" is not as quick as the 8 Gen 3 tasks, it distinguishes itself from the previous 8 Gen 2 with on-device AI capability.

Apart from AI, the new chip promises to support flagship-level imaging and gaming performance.

For the camera, it supports an 18-bit ISP that works together with the Hexagon NPU to handle image processing. It activates the "always-sensing camera" feature, which speeds up face unlock and QR code scanning. The ISP+NPU duo also improves image quality in the dark and can do outpainting. For example, like uncropping an image.

Snapdragon claims it can operate 3 36MP cameras at 30 fps with Zero Shutter Lag or a 1x 108MP camera at 30 fps. The highest possible image-capturing resolution is 200 Megapixels. Images and videos in 10-bit HEIC and HEVC formats are supported, along with 4K HDR video at 60fps. Unfortunately, there is no 8K video mode or the 4K 120fps also. These are exclusive to the top 8-series models.

Improved frame rates on gaming!

In terms of gaming, the SD 8s Gen 3 comes with Adreno GPU (unofficial name Adreno 735) which supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing. The company claims the Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.0 can bring 2x the frame rate without an extra power draw. On the other hand, the Snapdragon Game Super Resolution adds extra pixels to the image at no further cost.

The chip also supports QHD+ panels with up to 144Hz refresh rate or 4K resolution at 60Hz. It also supports VRR (variable refresh rates) of up to 1Hz to 240Hz. The external screen supports up to 8K resolution but at 30Hz only or FHD up to 240Hz as well.

The processor can decode H.265 and AV1 video at up to 4K at 60fps and play content HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

When it comes to phones that will use it. Snapdragon fans can expect from brands like HONOR, iQOO, realme, Xiaomi and Redmi. Qualcomm says these brands will announce their phone versions in the coming months.

What do you guys think?

Source: Qualcomm