Snapdragon 2022 Chips Coming for Chromebooks, Nintendo Switch, Android Flagships

At the annual Snapdragon Tech Summit this week Qualcomm introduced a brand new technology of chips below its Snapdragon branding. The showstopper was Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that’s primarily an incremental replace to final yr’s Snapdragon 888 and is supposed for next-generation flagship Android telephones coming later this yr and subsequent yr. The San Diego-based firm, nevertheless, additionally introduced the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 as two of its new system-on-chip (SoC) fashions for Windows laptops and Chromebooks, and the Snapdragon G3x as its chip designed for handheld gaming gadgets.

Host Akhil Arora speaks with Reviews Editor Jamshed Avari and Senior Reviewer Sheldon Pinto on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital to debate Qualcomm’s new bulletins.

The large launch for telephones at this yr’s Snapdragon Tech Summit was the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The chip would not have huge upgrades over the Snapdragon 888 that was launched final yr. However, it does have some incremental modifications which might be claimed to assist ship higher processing, sooner synthetic intelligence (AI) efficiency, and an upgraded graphics rendering.

The one large change that comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the brand new branding that strikes away from the present quantity sequence. This was apparent as Qualcomm was operating out of numbers — because of the launch of varied Snapdragon number-series fashions within the current previous. Qualcomm additionally appears to now be selling Snapdragon as a definite model by utilizing the brand new nomenclature.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 carries an all-new branding that sans the corporate’s number-series title
Photo Credit: Qualcomm

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can also be claimed to have some compelling options together with an 18-bit picture sign processor (ISP) that allows capturing of 8K HDR movies. There can also be a brand new always-on ISP that Qualcomm says will assist allow always-on face unlocking, and lock the gadget when you’re not wanting on the display screen. This explicit replace might elevate some privateness considerations although.

Qualcomm has additionally developed an on-device AI know-how in partnership with health-tech firm Sonde Health that’s claimed to analyse customers’ vocal patterns to find out whether or not they’re liable to well being circumstances together with bronchial asthma, despair, and COVID-19.

The options that include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 might assist Qualcomm retain its robust presence within the smartphone market in 2022 and make it an energetic competitor in opposition to Taiwan’s MediaTek that additionally has its Dimensity vary of 5G chips.

Alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 as its new chip for premium Windows laptops and Chromebooks. It comes because the successor to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 and is constructed utilizing the 5nm course of know-how. The chip claims to supply sooner efficiency over aggressive x86 platforms. The firm additionally introduced the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 chip for inexpensive laptops and Chromebooks, together with 5G connectivity help.

Both Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 seem like Qualcomm’s reply to Intel and AMD — the standard chipmakers available in the market of laptops. However, Qualcomm rival MediaTek can also be exploring to realize each revenues and recognition within the laptop computer market with its personal chips.

And as a foray into a brand new market, Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 as its first chip for handheld gaming gadgets. This could possibly be embraced by producers trying to develop devoted {hardware} for cell players. Companies together with Asus, Black Shark, and Nubia up to now tried to please that viewers with their gaming telephones. But Qualcomm appears to have taken a distinct method this time.

Qualcomm showcased a handheld gaming gadget idea in collaboration with Razer that it’s giving to builders to construct video games for its new transfer. We are, although, but to see how large the chipmaker and companions like Razer might do to make a shift within the gaming business with their ongoing efforts.

Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Handheld Gaming Developer Kit is an idea of what we might see sooner or later
Photo Credit: Qualcomm

We focus on all this and extra on this episode of Orbital. You can catch it by hitting the play button on the Spotify participant embedded above.

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