The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4, which had so much promise, at least on paper, may not launch before Apple’s M3, giving the latter another edge in the ARM notebook and desktop space. According to a statement, the chipset maker is still ‘on track,’ but a proposed timeline has not been stated.
New discussion still believes that Qualcomm’s new SoC featuring the company’s custom Oryon cores will arrive on schedule
A tweet from @Ravi_711 mentions Qualcomm’s plans to unveil the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 for commercial devices. The chipset codenamed Hamoa is ‘on track for commercial readiness,’ but apart from that, an exact quarter for the launch was not mentioned. We are expecting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to be announced at the upcoming event, which is said to happen in late October, but there has not been much development surrounding the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 at the event.
The discussion happening on @Ravi_711’s post states that Nuvia will be sampled in late 2023, with the actual chipsets said to arrive in late 2024 or early 2025, while also mentioning that Hamoa, the codename given to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4, is running into undisclosed problems. Given that the upcoming silicon was said to be mass produced on TSMC’s 4nm process, it should have gone official shortly after the M2’s unveiling.
$QCOM didn't give a timeline on the Nuvia enabled chips last night.
Simply said that they remain "on track for commercial readiness".
Seems ominous that they didn't reiterate a specific timeline.$AAPL $MSFT https://t.co/iMPnFxFLv5
— Ravi (@Ravi_711) August 3, 2023
Assuming Apple announces the M3 later this year, along with several Macs that will feature the cutting-edge SoC, it will put Qualcomm at a major disadvantage in the ARM notebook and desktop category, based on the aforementioned timeline. On paper, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4’s specifications are impressive; it sports a 12-core CPU configuration with eight performance cores, support for Wi-Fi 7, an integrated 5G modem, and can also accommodate desktop graphic cards through a Thunderbolt connection and eGPU enclosure.
Assuming the first Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4-powered Windows notebooks arrive in late 2024, a pricing advantage will also be key to generating some healthy competition. Unfortunately, the San Diego does not have practice in charging its partners a competitive price for its products, with a previous report stating that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was being sold for $160 apiece, making it more expensive than the A16 Bionic.
Regardless, we wish to see some competition in this category, and Qualcomm is slated to be the next firm to give Apple a run for its money, but that is only if the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 materializes earlier.
News Source: Ravi
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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