Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 Specifications Revealed, First Mobile Device AI Chip

The highly anticipated Snapdragon chipset, expected to be released for Android smartphones, may be announced this week. Early leaked details suggest that this chipset will focus on artificial intelligence. Reports indicate that the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen3 from Qualcomm will support convenient and innovative AI camera tools, including object removal from videos, enlarging photo areas, and generating fake backgrounds.

The leaked marketing materials also boast that this chipset will be able to run various AI models, including Stable Diffusion and Meta's Llama 2. The leaked documents attribute this capability to an upgraded version of the Hexagon neural processor. While the images do not explicitly state it, the processor is said to be 98% faster than last year's model. Qualcomm showcased the ability of the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 to run Stable Diffusion in February this year, but considering the advancements in AI technology this year, the company seems to be placing more emphasis on AI execution in the 3rd generation chipset.

This chipset is likely to be first used in Samsung's Galaxy S24 series, expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2024. As Qualcomm's flagship mobile chipset, it will appear in other top Android phones throughout the year, excluding Google's Pixel series, which relies on the company's own Tensor processor. Given Qualcomm's higher focus on AI, Google has done well in developing its own Tensor chipset, as one key reason for the company's decision to move away from Qualcomm is the ability to develop customized AI features.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen3 also has other updates, not limited to AI. The leaked materials promise a 30% increase in CPU speed, a 25% increase in GPU speed, support for 240fps gaming, improved ray tracing, night vision video recording, and Dolby HDR photo capture. It should also include 5G Advanced support, so perhaps this time your 5G connection will truly feel like 5G.