Revolutionary Snapdragon 8 Gen 4: 3 Versions Await!

Recent reports from global sources suggest that Qualcomm, a major player in mobile processors, might be gearing up to unveil its latest flagship mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, as early as October this year. This platform is anticipated to bring innovative features, adopting a 1+5+2 tri-cluster architecture that comprises a total of 8 cores.

Looking ahead to 2024, Qualcomm is poised for a significant shift in its processor design strategy. The company plans to move away from the widely-used Arm public CPU architecture and instead introduce its own Nuvia Phoenix core architecture in the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 flagship mobile platform.

Insider reports indicate that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 flagship mobile processor will embrace an in-house processor architecture. This architecture will include 2 high-performance cores and 6 power-efficient cores, integrated into an 8-core dual-cluster CPU architecture. The latest market information reveals that there will be three distinct versions of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 flagship mobile platform, differentiated primarily by the number of CPU cores.

The top-tier version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, known as model SC8380 or SC8380XP, will boast an impressive total of 12 cores. This configuration includes 8 high-performance cores and 4 power-efficient cores, setting a new standard as the first mobile processor with 12 CPU cores.

The mid-tier version, model SC8370 or SC8370XP, will feature a total of 10 cores, comprising 6 high-performance cores and 4 power-efficient cores.

The entry-level variant, labeled as SC8350 or SC8350XP, will utilize an 8-core design, consisting of 4 high-performance cores and 4 power-efficient cores.

While specifics on clock frequencies and other specifications remain under wraps, prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from Tianfeng International previously indicated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 flagship mobile processor is likely to adopt advanced 3nm fabrication technology. To address cost considerations associated with the 3nm process, Qualcomm is exploring a dual-sourcing approach involving TSMC and Samsung. The TSMC-produced version is expected to use the N3E process, while the Samsung 3nm GAA (Gate-All-Around) process could be reserved for Samsung's exclusive use.