Qualcomm is set to introduce its latest flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, at the upcoming Snapdragon Summit on October 24th. While this announcement is almost a month away, fresh documents have leaked online hinting at a surprise twist: the unveiling of not one, but two variants of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset is poised to succeed the potent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a staple in numerous flagship Android smartphones. Manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) using their 4nm process node, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC promises notable improvements in performance and energy efficiency.
Are Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3+ coming together?
However, the leaked documents, allegedly from Qualcomm, have revealed the existence of a second variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. While both variants will feature the expected Cortex-X4 prime CPU core, Cortex-A720 performance CPU core, and Cortex-A520 efficiency CPU core, the surprise lies in the production process. While the primary variant will use TSMC’s 4nm process node, the second variant will be manufactured using TSMC’s N3E (enhanced) 3nm node.
The shift to a smaller 3nm process node suggests a significant leap in technological advancement. Smaller transistors in the 3nm variant allow for a denser configuration, potentially making the chipset even more powerful and energy-efficient compared to its 4nm counterpart.
This strategy mirrors Qualcomm’s move in 2022 when it replaced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, produced using Samsung’s 4nm process, with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, built by TSMC on the 4nm node. The decision proved wise as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 demonstrated a remarkable 30% increase in efficiency and managed to mitigate overheating issues. Samsung Foundry’s lower yield with the 4nm process, only 35% compared to TSMC’s 70%, contributed to this shift.
In an unusual departure from the previous year’s pattern, Qualcomm is expected to unveil both variants of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at the same time during the Snapdragon Summit. The event, set in Hawaii, will likely answer many questions about the new chipsets. Still, it remains unclear whether the second variant will carry the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 3 moniker or if Qualcomm will opt for a distinct nomenclature.
To clarify, both variants of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will share identical configurations, differing only in the process node used for their construction. It’s important to note that this announcement does not encompass the rumored Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, expected to be an overclocked version of the 4nm chip.
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