As MediaTek is showing no signs of slowing down, Qualcomm is capitalizing on an opportunity to extend its flagship smartphone SoC family with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 launch. The upcoming chipset finally has a launch date thanks to the company’s latest teaser, and based on its specifications, it is to occupy a performance bracket below the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
A less powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 could be offered at a lower price, enticing Qualcomm’s customers and helping it regain that lost market share
The teaser was spotted on Weibo, indicating that Qualcomm would announce the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 on March 18, which is just a week from now. Also, given that the chipset had the letter ‘s’ in its naming scheme, we would assume that the San Diego firm would introduce a faster version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Unfortunately, the tipster Digital Chat Station had previously shared specifications of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, highlighting that it will be slower than its current flagship SoC, sporting one Cortex-X4 prime core running at 3.01GHz, four Cortex-A720 performance cores at 2.61GHz, and three Cortex-A520 efficiency cores operating at 1.84GHz.
Also, where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was running the Adreno 750 GPU, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is said to feature the Adreno 735. In short, the upcoming silicon may be a gimped version of its much faster cousin, but it is understandable why Qualcomm is taking this route. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 estimated to cost $200, the company’s smartphone partners, including Samsung, have the choice to pass on these cost increases to customers, thus risking higher shipment volumes, or force their margins to take a hit and price their flagships competitively.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 may offer a more affordable route, where phone makers only have to sacrifice perhaps 10-15 percent of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s performance while obtaining a significantly cheaper chipset in the process with all the bells and whistles. Side-by-side, these companies may also get to retain their margins, assuming it is cheaper than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Of course, it is unclear how this silicon will perform when the first devices roll out, but we will have those comparisons ready for you.
On a side note, it is entirely possible that with the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 said to be more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm might prepare a slower Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 version in the future, but we can only report on this in the future, so stay tuned.
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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