Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a fresh new processor that will power some of the top phone manufactures’ flagship Android handsets, including Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. However, due to economic uncertainties and high inflation, others question if people are in the mood to buy pricey cellphones over the Christmas season.
Qualcomm said Tuesday at a media event in Hawaii that its flagship-grade mobile processor is “engineered with groundbreaking AI” and will “revolutionize the landscape of smartphones.” The new silicon will be available soon, with the first smartphones hitting the market before the end of the year.
Qualcomm advertises its Gen 2 mobile platform as more powerful and smarter than the previous generation, which will power the next generation of Android handsets. The chipset prioritises a few important capabilities: camera, AI, sound, security, and 5G networking. According to the SoC chipmaker, the enhanced GPU offers 25% quicker performance, and the Qualcomm Kryo CPU is 40% more power efficient than before.
The raw performance increases provide smooth visuals and a longer battery life when playing games. The Snapdragon X70 5G modem, which supports dual 5G SIMs, is paired with the FastConnect 7800 connectivity system, which it claims offers lower latency Wi-Fi 7 and dual Bluetooth connectivity.
The new imaging features an 18-bit ISP, an AI-powered camera processor that allows for an always-on camera and up to 200MP photo capture, as well as 8K HDR video capture in 10-bit HDR. The Snapdragon Gen 2 mobile CPU also supports spatial audio and lossless music streaming at 48kHz.
Qualcomm’s unveiling of a premium-level mobile CPU comes at a time when smartphone sales are declining worldwide, particularly in the fastest-growing economies such as India. In the third quarter of 2022, demand for smartphones in India, the world’s second-largest mobile phone market, fell 10% year on year.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the third quarter had the lowest shipments due to a lack of demand and a rise in smartphone pricing in India. One of the main reasons for the slower growth of smartphones is that more users are retaining their phones for longer periods of time, which has an influence on phone sales.
Another reason why consumer demand for cellphones is declining is the hard macroeconomic situation. Tech layoffs and reports of a probable recession in key nations are dampening demand for devices, particularly smartphones. Smartphone manufacturers have reduced the number of new models released in recent months, indicating that the pandemic boom is coming to an end.
