• Mobile silicon maker Qualcomm is currently hosting its Snapdragon Summit, where new processors and the latest features for smartphones are being revealed.
• One of the headlining announcements is the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
• The new processor is already in the hands of key Android smartphone makers, meaning it will feature in next year’s flagship devices.

Mobile silicon specialists Qualcomm is currently hosting its Snapdragon Summit 2022, where the company is showcasing the latest phone processors to come out of its foundry. While it is always exciting to see how next-generation technology filters down to the new mid-range and entry-level processors, the flagship offerings often grab all the headlines, which is exactly what the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has done.

While the moniker features two, this is strictly speaking the third iteration in this lineup from Qualcomm, with a Gen 1 and Gen 1+ featuring in some of the latest flagship Android phones.

This new processor is also built on the same 4nm architecture as the previous two.

Naturally then, the new Gen 2 chips will be a fixture in many of next year’s flagship offerings, although Qualcomm does confirm that selected markets could already see devices sporting the new silicon before the end of 2022.

“This new mobile platform will be adopted by global OEMs and brands including ASUS Republic of Gamers, HONOR, iQOO, Motorola, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMAGIC, Redmi, SHARP, Sony Corporation, vivo, Xiaomi, XINGJI/MEIZU, and ZTE, with the first commercial devices expected by the end of 2022,” noted Qualcomm in a blog post.

“We are passionate about enabling people to do more, so we design Snapdragon with the user at the centre. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will revolutionise the landscape of flagship smartphones in 2023. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers groundbreaking AI, unparalleled connectivity, and champion-level gameplay, enabling consumers to enhance every experience on their most trusted device,” added Chris Patrick, SVP and GM of mobile handsets at Qualcomm.

In terms of improvements, the Gen 2 features one more performance core than its predecessor (four in total) and three efficiency cores, with all of them ranging between 200Hz and 300Hz faster than the previous generation.

The CPU onboard is also said to be 35 percent faster, with the GPU 25 percent faster. Both units are also 40 to 45 percent better in terms of managing power, according to Qualcomm.

Other notable improvements include support for WiFi 7, along with the ability to handle two 5G SIMs in the same phone, provided the manufacturer adds the capacity.

Lastly, you’ll be able to capture 8K footage on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the output on displays is still at 4K. As such, you’ll need to export content onto a suitable display.

Either way, it looks like Qualcomm will be the go-to processor provider for Android flagship phones in 2023 thanks to the Gen 2.