Qualcomm launches Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for budget smartphones

Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor back in October and is preparing to introduce a more affordable variant, which is expected to be called the Snapdragon 8s Elite. However, it did not turn out as some leaks indicated.

What is known about the new Snapdragon 8 Elite

Alongside the standard 8-core Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, Qualcomm's website has now listed a 7-core version. This more compact model features two main cores clocked at 4.32 GHz, as well as five performance cores operating at a maximum clock speed of 3.53 GHz. Thus, compared to the 8-core original, it lacks one performance core.

The seven-core chipset received the model number SM8750-3-AB and is likely intended for manufacturers who want to release cheaper smartphones without losing much in performance over the standard Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

It can be assumed that these are chips that have defective cores and would otherwise be rejected for use in the Snapdragon 8s Elite, but one inactive core should not significantly reduce the performance of devices in standard workloads, only slightly inferior in multitasking-oriented applications. Other chipset specifications remain the same as the regular Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Snapdragon 8 Elite (7-core):

• CPU configuration – 2 cores 4.32 GHz, 5 cores 3.53 GHz;
• Graphics processor – Adreno with ray tracing support;
• DSP – Hexagon using mixed precision INT8/INT16INT4;
• Support for LPDDR5X RAM;
• Charging – Quick Charge 5;
• 4G/5G modem – X80 LTE/5G built-in 10,000 Mbps (download), 3,500 Mbps (upload) with NB-NTN support;
• Network capabilities – Bluetooth 6.0, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n.
• Technical process – TSMC 3 nm.