Qualcomm has recently introduced the "s" subdivision in its Snapdragon lineup of chips, which delivers enhanced performance compared to the previous iterations. Additionally, the latest chips also bring advancements in handling AI processes on chips and will be part of future smartphone releases. With a handful of flagship features onboard, the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 costs less than the previous 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3 chips, which is a win for budget smartphones.
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is a flagship-level chip at a cheaper price - A win for budget smartphones
If you are unfamiliar with it, the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip is fabricated in a 4nm process with a Cortex-X4 prime core operating at 3.0GHz. Additionally, it encompasses four performance cores and three efficiency cores at 2.8GHz and 2.0GHz, respectively, coupled with 24GB of LPDDR5x RAM. It also supports UFS 4.0 storage for faster speeds as well. In comparison, the prime cores on the 8 Gen 3 operate at 3.0 GHz and 3.4 GHz.
Qualcomm has designed the chip with a cost that sits below the flagship 8 Gen 3 but brings most of its premium features to the table. One of the major additions is support for on-device AI capabilities, a feature that most budget flagships lack due to their competitive price range. In terms of GPU, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 features one less performance core that operates at a reduced frequency. The 8s Gen 3 also brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing support for photorealistic games on a budget and it is a decisive factor for users choosing between a budget and a flagship smartphone. As far as connectivity is concerned, the chip also uses the previous X70 5G modem with support for Wi-Fi 7.
However, the key feature of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip is its ability to handle on-device AI, which is something that only high-end smartphones like the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung's Galaxy S24 lineup bring to the table. Having on-device AI capabilities these days is a mark of a flagship smartphone, and it is great to see the budget lineup gaining the technology without impacting the price. Smartphone manufacturers like Nothing could benefit from the chips without paying a premium for the highest-end models.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 features multimodal generative AI additions with on-device processing capable of running large language models of up to 10 billion parameters. Since Qualcomm wants to target the budget category, one thing you should note is that the chip lacks a few AI features that you can experience in the 8 Gen 3 chip. However, you will still have access to AI virtual assistants and much more.
As mentioned earlier, the new chipset will be a game-changer for the budget lineup, as most smartphone manufacturers in the category use years-old chips for affordable handsets. All in all, the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip is narrowing the gap between budget and flagship performance, which will have a positive impact on future smartphones. We will share additional details on the chip's performance and benchmarks as soon as they are available.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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