Qualcomm announces new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 mobile chipset

Qualcomm has already enjoyed a great deal of success recently, with its previous flagship mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, topping the Antutu ranking charts in several categories, including AI and CPU/GPU performance. Not one to rest on its laurels, Qualcomm has now come out with an updated iteration of the mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, promising improved performance and efficiency across the board.

Heavy-hitter features like 8K HDR video capture and volumetric rendering are carried forward from the 8 Gen 1 with everything said to be that little bit more efficient. The CPU is apparently 10% faster than the previous iteration, with maximum clock speeds up to 3.2GHz, and the GPU is also said to benefit from a 10% speed bump as well. Both are also more economical, with power efficiency up to 30% greater than the 8 Gen 1.

The theme of improved efficiency continues with the AI engine, with Qualcomm claiming that the performance per watt in AI processing is roughly 20% better. SoC (System on Chip) power management is also said to be improved, this time by around 15%. Qualcomm claim that this translates to a further hour of gaming or an extra 80 minutes of video streaming when compared to the 8 Gen 1.

Per the announcement, Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 will start rolling out in Q2 2022 alongside the new mid-range 7 Gen 1, with devices from Oppo, Honor, Motorola, Realme, Redmi and OnePlus confirmed to make use of the chipsets. Updates to the 8-series chips are due to be unveiled at the end of 2022, with features set to waterfall down to the lower-range 7, 6 and 4 chipsets at a later date.

These figures certainly sound promising but we’ll have to get our hands on a device using Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and really put it through its paces to get the full picture. Check back in with Expert Reviews soon to see if we think the 8 Plus Gen 1 lives up to expectations.