Samsung is poised to launch a number of new smartphones in early 2022, including its wallet-friendly Galaxy S21 FE and premium Galaxy S22 range. With improved cameras, better displays, and an upgraded design all looking likely, it’s sure to make for an exciting bunch of announcements for fans of Galaxy handsets. However, if Samsung doesn’t make some changes to the system-on-a-chip inside its next batch of Galaxy smartphones, it will have some very powerful competition to deal with.
That’s because US chipmaker Qualcomm has just revealed its all-new Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 processor, which will bring improved performance, faster 5G download speeds, and better photography to the devices powered by this new silicon.
In fact, Qualcomm is promising that its new chip will be twice as fast as last year’s Snapdragon 888 plus it will be capable of receiving data at speeds of 10Gbps along with boosting images taken at night and offering the option to shoot video in glorious 8K quality.
This new Snapdragon 8 Generation 1 was only revealed a few days ago but two manufacturers have already confirmed they will soon launch phones with this brain tucked under the hood.
The first company to reveal its plans was Chinese brand Oppo who said that it will release a flagship smartphone powered by the new premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform in the first quarter of 2022.
“We are committed to bringing top-of-the-range 5G smartphones to consumers, such as the Find X3 series, so we are delighted about the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Mobile Platform, said Scott Zhang, OPPO Vice President of Overseas Sales.
“OPPO maintains a close relationship with Qualcomm Technologies, and we believe the new mobile platform will bring immense improvements and powerful performance to the next generation of flagship smartphones”.
Along with Oppo, Realme has also committed to building a device that will be powered by the Gen 1. The new flagship will be named the GT 2 Pro and could quickly become one of the most powerful devices on the market.
Expect more devices to follow with Qualcomm saying that other manufacturers including Sony and Xiaomi have also committed to using the Gen 1 in 2022.
Samsung’s plans remain unclear but most Galaxy devices sold in the UK use the firm’s own Exynos chips and it’s likely that decision will remain in 2022 so don’t expect to see the Gen 1 chip anytime soon.
Speaking at the launch of the new Snapdragon chip, Qualcomm’s Alex Katouzian, said: “As the world’s most advanced mobile platform, Snapdragon is synonymous with premium Android experiences and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 sets the standard for the next generation of flagship mobile devices. It delivers connectivity, photography, AI, gaming, sound, and security experiences never before available in a smartphone.”