Qualcomm is gearing up for its annual Snapdragon Summit, slated for late October 2024. As always, the event will highlight the next-generation flagship processor – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
The 8 Gen 4 represents more than just a typical incremental upgrade for Qualcomm’s flagship SoCs. The company is completely redesigning this chip, including its fundamental architecture. So, what can we expect from the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4? Here’s a summary of the details we’ve gathered so far on what Qualcomm has in store for its next-gen mobile SoC.
Oryon Cores for Mobile SoC
One of the major changes in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is the shift from Cortex to Qualcomm’s self-developed Oryon CPU cores. These Oryon cores are the same ones used in the company’s latest Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus PC chips. However, it’s unlikely the current computing-focused Oryon cores will be used in mobile devices. Instead, a scaled-down version of these Oryon cores will likely be featured, though it’s unclear how much Qualcomm will cut down the design.
Core Architecture
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to be built on a 3nm process using TSMC’s N3E node. Compared to the 4nm process of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the 3nm node allows for more transistors in the same chip area, resulting in better performance and efficiency. The smaller transistors should, in theory, consume less power when performing the same tasks compared to the 4nm process. However, these advancements will likely come at a cost. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a 25-30% price increase for the 8 Gen 4 compared to its predecessor, which means phones powered by the new SoCs will also be more expensive.
Beyond the changes in architecture and node, the core structure of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is also expected to change. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used a 1+3+4 cluster design, featuring one high-performance core, three mid-range cores, and four efficiency cores. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to switch to a 2+6 design, eliminating the efficiency cores altogether. It will reportedly feature two high-performance Oryon cores clocked at 4.26 GHz, along with six Cortex-A725 cores at 2.8 GHz. MediaTek first adopted this approach of not including efficiency cores with its Dimensity 9300 last year, and Qualcomm appears to be following suit.
GPU
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to feature a new Adreno GPU, possibly the Adreno 830. While details about this graphical unit are scarce, it is expected to use a new Slice GPU architecture and new technology to improve “GPU utilization,” which will deliver overall better performance.
Early Benchmarks
What do these changes bring in terms of actual performance? The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s primary competitor will likely be Apple’s A-series chip, expected to power the iPhone 16. Early leaks suggest the 8 Gen 4 might match the A18 in single-core performance and potentially surpass it in multi-core tasks. It reportedly achieved around 3000 for single-core and 10,000 for multi-core performance, easily surpassing the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 Ultra scores. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 has also been reported running AnTuTu, where it scored 1,769,083 points. This score is lower than expected for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 but that could possibly be due to optimization issues.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Phones
Early reports suggest that the Xiaomi 15 series will likely be the first smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor. This comes as no surprise, given Xiaomi’s track record of adopting Qualcomm’s latest flagship SoCs. Following Xiaomi, the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13 series are expected to follow suit. Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is also reportedly working on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phone, likely from the Redmi K80 series. Moreover, it’s likely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Sony Xperia 1 VII will also adopt the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, following in the footsteps of their predecessors which use the current-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Conclusion
Qualcomm is introducing several new features with the 8 Gen 4, including completely new Oryon CPU cores, an architecture without efficiency cores, and TSMC’s advanced 3nm node process. These advancements are expected to improve the performance of flagship phones in 2025. However, consumers will have to wait for independent reviews and real-world testing before making a final judgment on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Whether it delivers a true leap forward or becomes a power-hungry powerhouse disguised in a bulky chassis remains to be seen.
