At MWC 2024, Qualcomm's Chief Marketing Officer, Don McGuire, unveiled intriguing plans for the mobile silicon landscape. Qualcomm is poised to introduce the Snapdragon Gen 4 SoC featuring its bespoke 'Oryon' CPU, intensifying competition in the sector.
Don McGuire confirmed the forthcoming Snapdragon Summit scheduled for October 2024, during which the company will reveal its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC. He emphasized the importance of embracing AI while assuring that it won't replace human capabilities anytime soon, but rather augment them as a supplementary cognitive faculty.
Presently, Qualcomm utilizes ARM-based CPU cores across its processors. Transitioning to proprietary CPU cores promises a competitive edge, potentially rivaling Apple's chipsets. Moreover, anticipations suggest enhancements in the neural processing unit (NPU) within the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.
The new chipset is anticipated to feature a 2+6 core configuration, eschewing efficiency cores entirely. Leveraging TSMC's second-generation 3nm process will enhance power efficiency, compensating for the absence of efficiency cores.
Early speculation hints at the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 being tested at a frequency of 4GHz, a notable increase from its predecessor's 3.30GHz. This advancement positions it to contend with Apple's M3 chipset. However, these details remain speculative, with further revelations anticipated in the forthcoming months.
