Qualcomm probably learned from its mistakes and difficulties after the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 fiasco and launched the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 with a considerably improved manufacturing process. The next Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is believed to have these improvements as well as a probable CPU configuration that differs from Qualcomm’s prior flagship SoCs.
All orders for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be handled by TSMC. For those who are unaware, TSMC also mass produces the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 using its 4nm process, thus given the advancements achieved, Qualcomm’s decision to continue with its Taiwanese supplier makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, since the 3nm process is only used for the M2 Pro and M2 Max and Apple is TSMC’s most profitable customer, we do not anticipate the future chipset to be produced on that technology.
To meet Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 orders, TSMC will probably reuse its 4nm design, but Qualcomm will make a lot of changes to ensure that it performs better than the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 while delivering improved efficiency. According to a report, the first samples of Qualcomm’s forthcoming flagship chip are more power-efficient than the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and are probably going to trump Samsung’s Exynos 2300. With such encouraging news, we are inclined to recommend that Qualcomm continue with TSMC for its most recent launch.
In the race to mass produce 3nm semiconductors, Samsung has defeated TSMC. The first set of products is anticipated to start shipping to clients on July 25 after the Korean firm debuted its 3nm GAA technology over a month ago. Unfortunately, as far as we are aware, no smartphone manufacturer has contacted Samsung about using its 3nm, GAA processors. In terms of Qualcomm, if TSMC starts having issues with mass production, it may begin placing orders with Samsung.
Samsung has been ordered to send 3nm GAA samples to Qualcomm upon request so that the company can determine whether the next-generation node is viable for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Qualcomm might choose Samsung if it offers a better deal than TSMC due to other aspects like costs. Regardless of the supplier it chooses, Qualcomm will carefully analyze its options because it does not want the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to receive as much bad news as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
A “1 + 3 + 4” CPU cluster is what Qualcomm has continued to use, and this includes the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. Ultra-performance is brought to the table by the first single core, which is followed by three less powerful cores and four cores that are solely concerned with efficiency. With a reported “1 + 4 + 3” arrangement, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could go in a different path. You may think this CPU cluster is unusual, and you would be right.
It appears that Qualcomm plans to use four gold cores rather than three, giving it a competitive edge over the recently unveiled MediaTek Dimensity 9200, which has a “1 + 3 + 4” design, and other SoCs. The following is a possible configuration for the new CPU cluster, and for completeness’ sake, we have also included the core frequencies.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 should be able to outperform the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 by 20% while drawing the same amount of power thanks to the additional cores. If you were curious about the Galaxy S23 Plus’s single-core and multi-core performance, leaked Geekbench 5 results showed significant improvements in both tests.
While slower than Apple’s A16 Bionic, the future test device scored 1485 and 4844 points in single-core and multi-core benchmarks, respectively. Qualcomm is working to gradually decrease this performance gap. Additionally, two variations of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 may be released, each with a different CPU clock speed for a distinct class of goods.
While gaming phones might go all out with the best-in-class hardware, manufacturers that desire their devices to have a streamlined form factor could choose a somewhat slower version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is anticipated to be coupled with Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon X70 5G modem in addition to the unusual CPU arrangement, achieving new peak download speeds while using up to 60% less power.
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