Qualcomm has lifted the covers from its latest silicon targeted at top - of - the - line fluid hardware channelise into 2025 . And it seems the troupe is not pulling any punches this metre around . The direction is discernible right on from the name — Snapdragon 8 Elite .
The party is shun the distinctive “ Gen ” naming formula for this one , and suitably , has help some noticeable climb that will definitely put the likes of MediaTek and Apple on a free-enterprise qui vive . But just how cock-a-hoop of a saltation does the Snapdragon 8 elect offer over its predecessor ?
We stacked the Elite against theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3and highlighted all the meaningful difference to facilitate you pick out whether an rise would be a meaningful selection .
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: specs
Memory Density : Up to 24 GB
Limitless real - fourth dimension Semantic Segmentation
Up to 48MP triple photographic camera at 30 Federal Protective Service with Zero Shutter LagUp to 108MP individual camera at 30 Federal Protective Service with Zero Shutter LagUp to 320MP exposure capture
Slow - mo video gaining control at 1080p @ 480 Federal Protective Service
Massive Multi - Frame Noise Reduction with AI
substantial time AI skin and sky quality allowance in 4K60 fps
Real - clip Semantic Segmentation ( Max 12 layers )
Up to 36MP triple camera at 30 fps with Zero Shutter LagUp to 64 + 36MP dual camera at 30 fps with Zero Shutter LagUp to 108MP individual camera at 30 fps with Zero Shutter LagUp to 200MP photograph capture
Slow - second video gaining control at 720p @ 960 fps
Multi - Frame Noise Reduction ( MFNR )
Wi - Fi 7 ( Peak Speed : 5.8Gbps )
X80 5 G Modem - RF SystemDownlink : Up to 10GbpsUplink : Up to 3.5Gbps
Bluetooth 6.0
Integrated Ultra Wideband ( UWB )
Snapdragon X75 5 G Modem - RF SystemDownlink : Up to 10GbpsUplink : Up to 3.5Gbps
Bluetooth 5.4
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: CPU
Qualcomm is once again reimagining the CPU computer architecture for its recent silicon . The most noteworthy variety is the switch to TSMC ’s 3 - nanometer process node for the Snapdragon 8 Elite . Its forerunner , on the other hand , was free-base on the 4 New Mexico process node .
Now , the inherent fictionalisation node shift is n’t exactly a daylight - and - nighttime rising slope , but the theoretical benefits in terms of raw public presentation gain and get-up-and-go efficiency are still very much there . Plus , the work Qualcomm has done with further optimizing the CPU and GPU cores is deserving a look this prison term around .
The Snapdragon Elite mark the first appearance of Qualcomm ’s Oryon core for the mobile platform . Oryon began with Qualcomm ’s renewed foray into the world of Arm C.P.U. destined for Windows laptop computer .
The first - gen Oryon nucleus were custom - designed and establish on the 4 micromillimeter unconscious process , and eventually made their way to the market with theQualcomm Snapdragon X Eliteand theX Plus processors , powering the unexampled breed of AI PCs .
Qualcomm is emphatically making a sheer statement here by trickling down the same atomic number 14 deoxyribonucleic acid to the peregrine platform . The profit are evident . The prime Oryon core inside the Snapdragon 8 Elite offer a peak clock speed of 4.32 GHz . In comparison , the Kryo essence inside its predecessor could only reach a peak oftenness of 3.4 GHz .
This is the second - multiplication Oryon core we are talking about here . As far as multiplication - over - propagation performance gains are refer , Qualcomm is touting a massive boost worth 45 % for bare-ass CPU firepower . Notably , the company is also take an identical saltation in power efficiency .
Qualcomm adds that owing to the low energy ingestion , users can relish an surplus 2.5 hours of play time on their nomadic equipment . In summation to the faster Oryon prime core , the performance cores aboard the Snapdragon 8 Elite are also quicker , touting a peak clock fastness of 3.53GHz , compared to the 3.2GHz oftenness maxima for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: GPU
With the Snapdragon 8 Elite , Qualcomm is not only push the envelope with CPU performance but also the computer graphic output . To that end , the company has build up its latest and greatest with the “ first - ever Adreno GPU with sliced architecture . ”
Notably , the GPU enhancement fall in the same park as the central processor improvements . The next - gen graphic locomotive deport 40 % higher operation compare to its old - gen twin , one of the swelled leap we have go steady on a peregrine central processor in the retiring few years .
Now , one would obviously think that such a saltation would be an right-down vitality hog . Well , Qualcomm articulate the graphics engine aboard the Snapdragon 8 Elite is not only beefier but it also swipe the energy efficiency by a astounding 40 % , matching the increase promised for the raw performance output .
So , what ’s the hole-and-corner sauce here ? Qualcomm credits the GPU turnout acclivity , at least in term of real - world gaming performance , to the sliced architecture . This is also the first clock time that Unreal ’s Nanite nontextual matter organisation is construct its way to mobile devices .
Specifically , we are talking about Unreal Engine ( v5.3 ) Nanite here , which is the next - gen virtualized geometry system that relies on refreshful internal mesh and next - gen rendering technology . The benefit are extra inside information in visual plus , reduced work load on the graphic engine , and higher rendering efficiency .
In a nutshell , game will look more realistic , or as Qualcomm puts it , “ flick - tone 3D environments for total immersion . ” If you aim to dig into the welfare of Unreal ’s Nanite system , you could find a resource Thomas Nelson Page from Unrealhere , and how it is implemented in this Epic developerguide .
The Adreno GPU aboard the Snapdragon 8 Elite also plump for the Unreal Chaos Physics Engine , which is touted to service hyper - realistic skeletal system and visuals in biz . Technically , this is a physics simulation engine that was developed incollaborationwith Intel and has already beenimplementedin games such asFortnite .
The Adreno Frame Motion technical school has been upgraded to version 2.1 on the Snapdragon 8 Elite . Qualcomm has n’t said much about the games that are drawing the benefits of these Unreal enhancements , but it would be interesting to see how they push the limits of gaming on mobile platforms .
A equivalence with Apple is also inevitable , specially in the view of theprogress Apple has made with Metal architectureto push AAA plot such asDeath StrandingandResident Evil : Villageon the iPhone and iPad .
We will update this account as biz developer announce the work they ’ve done in partnership with Qualcomm to refine the gambling experience on mobile gadget powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon .
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: camera
In plus to the expected CPU and GPU sweetening , the Snapdragon 8 Elite also stretches the boundaries of what mobile cameras can accomplish , thanks to support from AI . On the Snapdragon 8 Elite , Qualcomm is fight a triple 18 - routine AI ISP , a major slip from the Cognitive ISP transportation aboard the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
Thanks to the updated ISP format , there are ascent in line for icon as well as TV seizure . The most notable upgrade is support for limitless ( technically , a peak of 250 ) layers toward semantic division , while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ’s ISP was limited to 12 layers .
This could prove to be a plot - changer . To start , segmentation is essentially the ISP ’s power to name object in a physical body , like a person , an animal , face , foliage , texture , undercoat , sky , soundbox parts , inanimate objects , hide smell characteristics , and more .
The core idea here is that base on the object identified in a bod , the algorithmic change pertaining to color chemistry , bokeh effect , highlight , and shadows are consequently apply . In a nutshell , it tunes the entire image to fork out the most accurate output , by correct variables such as blur , dependent separation , and more .
Moreover , since the ISP has a more gritty understanding of the objects in a skeleton , it will also theoretically be able to extend a more exact and various lot of beautification and aesthetic filter .
So far , the image signaling processor , even on Qualcomm ’s flagship mobile processors have been determine to 12 layer at best , as is the case with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 . With the Snapdragon 8 Elite , the camera system can do illimitable layers of segmentation , assume the truth and cobwebby timber of images and telecasting to the next level .
The ISP also offloads some of the Multi - Frame Noise Reduction tasks to AI , which also helps with noise reduction in 4 K , 60 skeletal frame per second ( fps ) videos captured in radical - humble luminosity situations . This is yet another massive rise for photographic camera enthusiasts .
So far , the bespoke dark mode in camera apps has only worked wonders for still , but not telecasting , chiefly because the pipeline is way too toilsome and demanding to apply the necessary corrections . harmonize to Qualcomm , the Snapdragon 8 Elite ’s ISP will open unexampled frontier for television capture even in exceedingly dark surround .
The peak resolution for slo - moment television seizure has go up from 720p ( HD ) to Full HD ( 1080p ) , cap at 480 fps frame pace . Another celebrated upgrade is support for aboriginal 8 K HDR telecasting playback at 60 fps .
On the image gaining control side of things , there are a few remarkable changes . phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon will endure up to 320 - megapixel photo capture , making a jump from the 200MP limit point on its predecessor .
With Zero Shutter Lag ( ZSL ) enabled , the ISP get to the room access for triple 48MP capture , up from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ’s boundary of 36MP capture in superposable format .
For mobile videography fancier , there ’s some honorable news . The next - gen ISP bear out locally - powered AI skin and sky tone adjustments in real time , and that too , for 4 K videos captured at 60 fps . This would shrink the barrier for required color fudge factor and will also enable more accurate colour procreation in high - reticuloendothelial system videos .
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: AI and other enhancements
A recur theme across the update board for Snapdragon 8 Elite is AI . Qualcomm is , in fact , advertise it everywhere , from camera enhancements to connectivity improvements . At the centerfield of those tweaks is the next - gen Hexagon NPU , which is tell to be 45 % faster and also present 45 % higher performance per watt .
The new Snapdragon X80 5 G Modem - RF System is take to offer a meaningful 30 % boost in placement and positioning accuracy . The Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 Mobile Connectivity System , on the other hand , brings Wi - Fi 7 adroitness tagging alongside a 40 % more frugal approach at energy uptake .
A primal work shift in the connectivity department is backing for Bluetooth 6.0 standard on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite , while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is limited to Bluetooth 5.4 standard . On the audio end product front , Qualcomm ’s aptX Lossless technical school will deliver the high lineament music listening experience ever .
Qualcomm further notes that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is also the first silicon that desegregate UWB , Bluetooth , and Wi - Fi into a individual stack . This capability is target at proximity determination , or in childlike language , helping locate devices that have been misplaced . There are a few other helpful side to this tech , such as door entree tie to a eminent grade of security .
Of course , since we are hash out AI , the Snapdragon 8 Elite ’s NPU would hog the tending . It raise the nominal limit point , which means on - machine help will be able to treat more complex and longer inputs . Support for on - gimmick multi - average AI assistant is here to stay , which means users will be able to execute complex chore without having to rely on internet connectivity .
to boot , a more capable on - equipment processing grapevine will also think the responses will be quicker , away from being safe compare to a cloud - tether format .
Now , the gains are not merely theoretical in nature . Based on the benchmark figures provided by Qualcomm for a citation gadget die hard Snapdragon 8 Elite , and sweet tests carry on by Digital Trends , the performance claims pan out in real life history , as well .
On Geekbench single and multi - core tests , we are looking at a public presentation gain deserving over 33 % in each scenario . The enhancement are particularly impressive in the graphics section .
In a mental test run , the Snapdragon 8 Elite outperformed its herald by an impressive perimeter of 46 % on the intensive GFXBench Aztec Vulcan ( High , 1440p ) test . The AnTuTu benchmark tally is also or so over 30 % higher .
Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: final words
So far , firebrand like Realme and Xiaomi have already confirmed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite will power their next flagship smartphones . More names will soon follow case .
But so far , from what we ’ve experience on the pitch deck , the a la mode silicon from Qualcomm also seems like its best bet at interrupt the status quo of Apple ’s A - serial processors as the top frank .
Digital Trends will shortly have its hand on machines armed with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and will publish its detailed findings after comprehensive tryout and public presentation analysis . Stay tune up for that !