The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona was a showcase of innovation and creativity, as various brands unveiled their latest devices, technologies, and services. Among the highlights were Samsung’s first-ever Galaxy Ring, Honor’s entry into the smart ring and flip phone market, and Nubia’s affordable gaming, flip, and camera phones.
However, behind these impressive devices lies the core component that powers them: the chipset. And one of the most anticipated chipsets of the year is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which is expected to launch in October 2024.
Qualcomm is one of the leading chipset manufacturers in the world, and its flagship Snapdragon series is known for delivering high performance, efficiency, and features to premium smartphones. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was launched in December 2023 and powers devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, the OnePlus 10, and the Google Pixel 7.
So, what can we expect from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4? Here are some of the key details that we know so far, based on official announcements and credible leaks.
Snapdragon Summit in October
The first and most confirmed piece of information about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is its launch date. Qualcomm’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Don McGuire, revealed in a video posted on X (via Android Headlines) that the Snapdragon Summit, where the company usually announces its flagship SoC, is scheduled for October 2024.
❗️Calling all Snapdragon Insiders…
CMO @donnymac is in Europe this week for #MWC24 and has a special message – and some secret intel – just for you 🕵 pic.twitter.com/RBsBvytRlo
— Snapdragon UK (@Snapdragon_UK) February 28, 2024
He also explicitly mentioned the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 by name, leaving no room for doubt. This means that we can expect to see the official specifications, features, and benchmarks of the chipset in October, along with the announcement of the first batch of devices that will use it.
Oryon CPU Cores
Another important detail that McGuire shared in the video is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will feature Oryon CPU cores, which are Qualcomm’s custom-designed CPU cores. This is a significant departure from the previous Snapdragon generations, which used ARM’s Cortex CPU cores.
Qualcomm claims that the Oryon CPU cores will offer better performance, efficiency, and scalability than the Cortex cores, as they are tailored to the specific needs and demands of the Snapdragon platform. The Oryon CPU cores are also expected to support the latest instruction sets and features, such as ARMv9 and SVE2.
NPU Upgrade
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is also set to receive a major upgrade to its NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which is responsible for handling AI and machine learning tasks on the device. McGuire briefly mentioned this improvement during his talk with Snapdragon insiders, but did not provide any specific details.
However, based on the previous Snapdragon generations, we can expect the NPU upgrade to bring faster and more accurate AI performance, as well as support for new and advanced AI applications, such as voice recognition, face detection, natural language processing, and image enhancement.
No Low-Power Cores
One of the most surprising rumors about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is that it will not have any low-power efficiency cores, which are usually used for handling background tasks and saving battery life. Instead, according to a leak from Digital Chat Station (via GizmoChina), the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will have two big high-performance “Phoenix” CPU cores and six medium-performance “Phoenix” CPU cores.
This means that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will have a 2+6 CPU configuration, instead of the usual 1+3+4 or 2+2+4 configuration. The leak also suggests that the two big Phoenix cores will be clocked at 4GHz, which is a very high speed for a mobile processor.
The reason behind this radical change is unclear, but it could be related to the Oryon CPU cores, which may offer enough efficiency and flexibility to eliminate the need for low-power cores. Alternatively, it could be a strategy to compete with other chipmakers, such as Samsung and MediaTek, which have also adopted similar CPU configurations for their flagship chipsets.
Expected Devices
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to power the next-generation of premium smartphones, starting from late 2024 to early 2025. Some of the most likely candidates are the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which are rumored to launch in January 2025, and the Xiaomi 15 Pro, which are speculated to launch in February 2025.
Other possible devices that could use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 are the OnePlus 11, the Google Pixel 8, the Sony Xperia 2, and the LG Wing 2. Of course, these are just predictions based on the previous launch patterns and partnerships of these brands, and nothing is confirmed until the official announcements.
Conclusion
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is one of the most awaited chipsets of the year, and it promises to bring a new level of performance, efficiency, and features to the smartphone market. With its custom-designed Oryon CPU cores, upgraded NPU, and high-speed Phoenix cores, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is set to redefine the flagship SoC standards and expectations.
We will have to wait until October 2024 to see the full details and capabilities of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, but until then, we can keep an eye out for more leaks and rumors that may emerge in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and the devices that will use it.