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Snapdragon 8: What is it, and what does it mean for your phone?

With the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4 boasting powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processors, we’re here to explore everything you need to know about these powerhouse chipsets. From what the Snapdragon 8 actually is, right through to what it means for your Samsung Galaxy phone, we’re here to give you the low-down.

What is Qualcomm® Snapdragon®?

Snapdragon® is a powerful, mobile processor produced by Qualcomm® that is specifically innovated to make your device work smarter not harder. Working with industry-leading developers, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® chipsets offer:
• Advanced levels of processing power
• Cutting-edge efficiency
• Next generation mobile connectivity

These processors are responsible for delivering many of the popular smartphone features that you know and love including;
• cinematic quality graphics
• powerful audio
• high-megapixel cameras
• ultra-responsive gameplay
• intelligent mobile software

What is Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2?

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is Qualcomm’s® latest smartphone processor. It boasts the most advanced mobile computing technology to date, including ground-breaking AI features such as:

• AI cinematic video
• AI enhanced images
• Direct-to-app voice assistant
• Next generation photo and video capture with 8K HDR video capture capabilities
• Up to 200MP photo capture

What’s more, the unparalleled audio experience (thanks to the Snapdragon® Sound™ Technology) is something to behold - so no matter how you move, you’ll be captivated by the audio that’s all around you.

This sensational processor is also the best-in-class for mobile gameplay with stunning lighting, shadow, and illumination effects thanks to Snapdragon® Elite Gaming™. To top it all off, it’s the world’s first and only mobile platform with a dedicated 5G AI processor and Wi-Fi 7 so you can enjoy lightning-fast speeds wherever life takes you.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Gen 1: What's the difference?

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the latest mobile processor released by Qualcomm® at the end of 2022. It is the fastest and most advanced mobile platform yet with accelerated performance, exceptional mobile connectivity and the industry’s very first Cognitive ISP for incredible photo and video optimisation.

We’ve included a handy table to compare the key differences between the 2021 Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 and 2022 Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2.

Artificial Intelligence
5G
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Bluetooth audio
Camera / Video
Audio
Display
CPU
GPU
General Specifications

Qualcomm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

Artificial Intelligence : Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU
Qualcomm® Hexagon™ Processor
Qualcomm® Sensing Hub
5G : Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System
Downlink: Up to 10 Gbps
Wi-Fi : Qualcomm® FastConnect™ 6900 System
Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth : Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth audio : Snapdragon Sound™ Technology with support for Qualcomm® aptX™ Voice, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and LE audio
Camera / Video : Qualcomm Spectra™ Image Signal Processor
Up to 200 Megapixel Photo Capture
8K HDR Video Capture + 64 MP Photo Capture
Video Capture Formats: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
8K HDR Video Capture @ 30 FPS
4K Video Capture @ 120 FPS
Audio : Qualcomm Aqstic™ audio codec (WCD9385)
New Qualcomm Aqstic smart speaker amplifier (WSA8835)
Display : On-Device Display Support:
• 4K @ 60 Hz
• QHD+ @ 144 Hz Maximum External Display Support: up to 4K @ 60 Hz
• 10-bit colour depth, Rec. 2020 colour gamut
• HDR10 and HDR10+
CPU : Kryo CPU
• Up to 3.0 GHz*, with Arm Cortex-X2 technology
• 64-bit Architecture
GPU : Adreno GPU
• Vulkan® 1.1 API support
• HDR gaming (10-bit colour depth, Rec. 2020 colour gamut)
• Physically Based Rendering
• Volumetric Rendering
• Adreno Frame Motion Engine
• API Support: OpenGL® ES 3.2, OpenCL™ 2.0 FP, Vulkan 1.1
• Hardware-accelerated H.265 and VP9 decoder
• HDR Playback Codec support for HDR10+, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision
General Specifications : Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 5 Technology
Full Suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming™ features
4 nm Process Technology USB Version 3.1; USB Type-C Support

Qualcomm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Artificial Intelligence : Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU
Qualcomm® Hexagon™ Processor
Qualcomm® Sensing Hub
5G : Snapdragon® X70 5G Modem-RF System
Downlink: Up to 10 Gbps Uplink: Up to 3.5 Gbps
Wi-Fi : Qualcomm® FastConnect™ 7800 System
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth : Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth audio : Snapdragon Sound™ Technology with support for Qualcomm® aptX™ Voice, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, and LE audio
Camera / Video : Qualcomm Spectra™ Image Signal Processor
Up to 200 Megapixel Photo Capture
8K HDR Video Capture + 64 MP Photo Capture
Video Capture Formats: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
8K HDR Video Capture @ 30 FPS
4K Video Capture @ 120 FPS
Audio : Qualcomm Aqstic™ audio codec
Qualcomm Aqstic smart speaker amplifier
Spatial Audio with Head Tracking
Display : On-Device Display Support
• 4K @ 60 H
• QHD+ @ 144 Hz Maximum External Display Support: up to 4K @ 60 Hz
• 10-bit colour depth, Rec. 2020 colour gamut
• HDR10 and HDR10+, HDR vivid, and Dolby Vision
CPU : Kryo CPU
• 64-bit Architecture
• 1 Prime core, up to 3.2 GHz2
• Arm Cortex-X3 technology
• 4 Performance cores, up to 2.8 GHz • 3 Efficiency cores, up to 2.0 GHz
GPU : Adreno GPU
• Real-time Hardware Accelerated Ray Tracing
• Snapdragon Game Post Processing Accelerator
• HDR gaming (10-bit colour depth, Rec. 2020 colour gamut)
• Snapdragon Shadow Denoiser
• API Support: OpenGL® ES 3.2, OpenCL™ 2.0 FP, Vulkan® 1.3
• Hardware-accelerated H.265 and VP9 decoder
• HDR Playback Codec support for HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision
General Specifications : Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 5 Technology
Full Suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming™ features
4 nm Process Technology
USB Version 3.1; USB Type-C Support

What are the advantages of a Snapdragon phone?

We all want the best from our smartphones and with a Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 phone you’ll get just that. Snapdragon® processors are renowned for powering some of the top Android smartphones across the world. Here are just some of the advantages of having the latest Snapdragon® 8 powered Samsung smartphones:

1. Qualcomm® is a leader in mobile artificial intelligence technology taking language, health, gaming, security and fitness features to new heights.
2. Snapdragon® processors benefit from leading camera technology that can capture AI-powered night shots, smart cropping, segmentation, object tracking, face detection, optimised social media filters and more.
3. Snapdragon® processors support the fastest possible 5G, mobile data speeds and Wi-Fi 7 to date.
4. Leading Bluetooth audio innovations deliver a class of crisp, reliable, and responsive voice and music quality not seen before.
5. Snapdragon® Elite Gaming brings desktop-level capabilities to mobile gaming for truly immersive, next-level gaming.
6. Qualcomm's Quick Charge 5 technology is the world’s first commercially viable fast charging platform that supports 100W charging in a smartphone. It can even take devices from 0 to 50 percent battery life in 5 minutes.

What is the fastest Android phone processor?

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is currently the fastest processor available for Android smartphones.

The Qualcomm® Kryo CPU (found on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) delivers 35% faster performance and 40% better power efficiency than its predecessor, thanks to an additional performance core which is designed to reach peak multi-threaded performance with speeds up to a whopping 3.2 GHz*.

What's more the next-gen Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU benefits from 25% faster graphics for unrivalled realism and authentic gaming experiences. And the Qualcomm® Hexagon™ Processor has an AI processing speed which is 4.35x faster than previous chipsets.

*Exact speed measured at 3.1872 GHz

Which Samsung phones have a Snapdragon processor?

In the UK, Samsung customers can get their hands on next-gen processing power for their devices, thanks to Snapdragon®. The following Samsung smartphones currently have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor:

• Galaxy Z Fold4
• Galaxy Z Flip4

FAQs about Snapdragon 8

Who makes the Snapdragon processor?

Qualcomm® is one of the world’s leading wireless tech innovators and is responsible for designing and manufacturing the Snapdragon® processors that are found in flagship Android smartphones across the world. They are designers and developers of wireless connections such as 5G, high-performance computing chipsets and next-gen AI.
What’s the difference between Snapdragon and Exynos?

Exynos is Samsung’s own mobile processor that features an impressive octa-core CPU. Samsung’s Exynos chipsets enable powerful computing, smooth multitasking, swift game play and superb power efficiency. Until August 2022 all Samsung UK smartphones have been built with an Exynos processor. In contrast, the Snapdragon® processor is designed and manufactured by Qualcomm®, an American company that specialises in wireless technology. Snapdragon processors tend to be made using a Quad-Core setup which can achieve high speeds and have exceptional AI capabilities. Qualcomm® Snapdragon® processors are primarily found on Samsung smartphones in the US but have recently been introduced in the UK in the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 series.
Is Snapdragon better than Exynos?

Both the Exynos and Snapdragon® chipsets offer exceptional performance, long-lasting battery life, incredible camera specs and top-end gaming capabilities. With so many variations between each processor model, it is hard to conclude that one is better than the other as each chipset brings with it its own benefits and advancements. However, there’s no doubt that the Snapdragon® 8 processor is hugely popular with tech enthusiasts.
How to check your phone processor?

You can find specific details about your Samsung smartphone in the Settings > About Phone app. If your UK Samsung phone was released prior to August 2022 it will have a Exynos processor. If you wish to find the specific version of your phone’s processor you will need to download the CPU-Z app from the Google Play store on your phone. This free application includes a CPU identification tool as well as system information about your device.