– Pocket Nova uses Qualcomm QCS8550 (IoT version of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2)
– Specs match Snapdragon 8 Gen 2: 4nm, Adreno 740 GPU, up to LPDDR5X RAM
– Lacks 5G modem due to IoT designation
– Similar precedent: AYN Odin 3’s Dragonwing Q8 (IoT Snapdragon 8 Elite)
– Price likely high; RAM, storage, launch date still unannounced
Pocket Nova Processor Revealed
After showing off the screen specs and what colors it will come in, Retroid has now let us know something else that is important about their new 4:3 handheld. This new information is about the processor, which will tell us how strong the Pocket Nova is when you compare it with other devices out there.
Qualcomm Chip Confirmed
Previous Retroid handhelds have came with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or a MediaTek processor, and for the Pocket Nova, they are keeping with that tradition. Based on a fresh post on their X account, the Pocket Nova will be using a Qualcomm chip. The exact processor is the Qualcomm QCS8550, which is also known as the Qualcomm Dragonwing QCS8550.
Even though the name might sound strange, since most people know Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line; the Qualcomm QCS8550 is a chip made for IoT gadgets. Looking at its product page, it is a 4nm processor that has 1x Kryo Gold cores running at 3.2GHz, 4x Kryo Gold cores running at 2.8GHz, and 3x Kryo Silver cores running at 2.0GHz. It also works with LPDDR5X RAM and has an Adreno 740 GPU, a 48 TOPS NPU, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Similar to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
If those specs sound like something you have heard before, thats because they are exactly the same as the specs of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is the chip inside the Retroid Pocket 6. But because this is the IoT version of the processor that does not have a 5G modem, it goes by a different name — Qualcomm QCS8550. A similar thing happened earlier this year with the AYN Odin 3 which was advertised as having the Snapdragon 8 Elite but was later fixed to the Qualcomm Dragonwing Q8, which is the IoT version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Price and Details Still Unknown
Retroid has not yet said how much RAM and storage the Pocket Nova will come with. There is also no word on its price or when it will launch. But, looking at the specs that have been shared so far, the Pocket Nova might not be a cheap handheld.
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