Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could prioritize efficiency over raw CPU performance

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Qualcomm is expected to unveil its latest chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, during its annual Snapdragon Summit in October. However, the company hasn’t exactly been able to keep the lid on its upcoming Snapdragon processor. For instance, an earlier leak indicated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 might be more expensive to make and could potentially drive phone prices up, and now a datasheet has surfaced, shedding more light on what this new chip has to offer.

The leak in question comes from the folks over at Smartprix and points to Qualcomm prioritizing efficiency over CPU performance and continuing its focus on AI advancements. According to the leak, the chip is likely to come in two variants: standard (SM8750) and performance (SM8750P). Snapdragon is also expected to stick to its current naming convention with this chip and is unlikely to try anything new. The standard chip will reportedly power flagship phones from brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, HONOR, and ASUS, to name a few, while the performance chip is likely to be reserved for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip is also rumored to be built using TSMC’s 3nm process, which will help reduce power consumption while still maintaining solid performance. This will hopefully help extend smartphone battery life. Additionally, the chip is also expected to feature Qualcomm’s custom Oryon CPU cores, which were first introduced in the company’s laptop processors.

Also, as seen from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm is continuing its push into AI with its latest chip, which will allegedly feature a Low-Power Artificial Intelligence subsystem and the Qualcomm Sensing Hub, which is designed to enhance on-device gen AI capabilities. The subsystem might also include an advanced eNPU, which will enable always-on audio and sensor features.

The reporting outlet notes that the chip is likely to have a 2+6 core configuration, with two high-performance cores running at 4.0GHz and six efficiency cores at 2.8GHz. A few other noteworthy components that might make an appearance are the Adreno 830 GPU, Qualcomm Spectra ISP for better camera performance, and the Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 modem.

We’re expecting this chip to make its way into a number of smartphones, but the Xiaomi 15 series might just be the first to include it.

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