Fast Charge: What to expect from Qualcomm’s tech summit next week
OPINION: Qualcomm’s annual tech summit is set to take place next week, with the company expected to reveal the next Snapdragon chips that will power future Android smartphones.
All of the big reveals are still under wraps until the big event on November 30, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from going into overdrive and potentially giving us a sneak peek at the upcoming announcements.
We already know that Qualcomm is changing its naming structure for future chips to make it easier for the average smartphone buyer to understand. That means you can wave goodbye to the possibility of the next phone chip being called the Snapdragon 898.
Instead, Qualcomm will be using a single-digit name for the chip, with its video teaser and the rumour mill indicating it could be called ‘Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’. But aside from the new name, what else can we expect from the new Snapdragon smartphone chip?
Recent benchmark leaks have suggested the new Snapdragon 8 chip will greatly outpace the previous generation. Phone Arena spotted the leak via the 8 o’clock tech tipster account, which suggests the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 scored an AnTuTu result of 1,035,020. If accurate, this would make it the very first Snapdragon chip to surpass the one million mark.
For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is currently one of the most powerful smartphones on the market thanks to its Snapdragon 888 chip, which sees scores between 700,000 and 8000,000 in the same benchmark test. Judging from the benchmark results, it looks like phones powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 could be set for a substantial performance boost.
New Snapdragon chips usually also allow for a slew of new camera features thanks to advancements in the ISP and artificial intelligence. When the Snapdragon 888 launched, it enabled phones to to take 120 12MP photos in just one second, and improved capture in extremely low-light conditions. An additional ISP also allowed for smoother zooming and enhanced the image quality of photos and videos when using two or more cameras simultaneously.
There doesn’t seem to be any credible leaks for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in this regard just yet, but I’m willing to bet that Qualcomm will have something noteworthy up its sleeve to take photography and videography up yet another level.
It’s also possible that Qualcomm will announce additional chips that will be housed inside more affordable smartphones. Its video teaser has made it clear that the focus will be primarily on the Snapdragon 8 range, but that doesn’t mean you should rule out further announcements.
It’s also possible that Qualcomm will unveil its next laptop chip, which will presumably be called the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3. However, Qualcomm revealed its predecessor, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, during IFA 2020 instead of its own dedicated event. With this in mind, it’s not guaranteed that Qualcomm will make any laptop announcements during the tech summit next week.
We’re sadly going to have to wait until 30 November next week to find out more. We’ll be covering all of the big Qualcomm reveals, so make sure to keep an eye on Trusted Reviews if you’re keen to find out what’s in store for the next generation of smartphones.