The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor powers the most potent smartphones available right now, but Qualcomm also produces mobile platforms with a range of costs and power levels. The new "Gen 1" moniker had previously only been given to the Series 8 and Series 7 platforms, but today the company introduced the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. The disclosure comes just one day before Apple is anticipated to unveil the A16 Bionic, the company's top mobile chip.
Mid-range phones and extremely cheap handsets will be powered by these latest Qualcomm Snapdragons, respectively. The Nord N200, which costs closer to $200, employs a Snapdragon 4-series processor, in contrast to the contemporary OnePlus Nord N20, which costs over $300 and has a Snapdragon 6-series chipset.
It's up to the makers to put all of the new advantages that Qualcomm touts for these Gen 1 platforms over the older version into practise. For instance, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 can capture images with up to 108MP, but that capability is only useful if the phone manufacturer also includes a 108MP sensor together with the necessary camera hardware and software. As long as the phone can take the photo, the Snapdragon 4 platform can now handle the processing.
Analysis: Why do we get new Snapdragons this evening?
The brand-new A16 Bionic chipset-equipped Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are anticipated to be revealed tomorrow. The current A15 Bionic will have to work with the new Apple iPhone 14. Qualcomm obviously sees a chance to strike.
Qualcomm is effectively highlighting the fact that even more affordable new Android phones use brand-new Qualcomm chips with new capabilities by releasing new hardware for less expensive phones, whereas only the most recent and expensive Apple iPhone receives an upgrade this year.
Along with updating its new Tensor chips this year, Google is also anticipated to release the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones. Rumors state that the Tensor chips from the previous year might be used in the Pixel Tablet of the following year. This makes sense for a mid-range tablet computer, but it would fuel criticism of Qualcomm's recently released processor.
When it comes to the upgrade cycle, Apple is lax, frequently taking more than a year to update the outside designs and internal parts of its phones. With numerous smartphone debuts each year, gadget manufacturers like Samsung and Google have long taken advantage of this glacial pace. Finally, the chip manufacturers are participating in the same game.
