Qualcomm Allows More Smartphones to Access Snapdragon’s AI

In order to support the current 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm has introduced a new mid-season Snapdragon chipset. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3’s promise for gaming, photography, and on-device generative AI were all emphasized during its unveiling.

In the past, Qualcomm has provided a mid-cycle Snapdragon 8 Plus model that boosts performance as we approach the second part of the year by utilizing new methods and capabilities. That chipset is not this one.

With one fewer performance core and a slower speed, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is positioned marginally below the current model. It is obviously aimed at the market segment directly beneath the flagship system-on-a-chip. With specifications nearly identical to top-tier hardware but at a lower cost, it will be ideal for phones dubbed “headphone killers.”

Even if other manufacturers would rather go with the design from the previous year for their more cheap flagships, the 8s Gen 3 has a distinct hardware advantage in one area: AI. Like many other chip manufacturers, Qualcomm has stated that the 8s Gen 3 supports Llama 2, Baichuan-7B, and Gemini Nano LLMs. This means that the next flagship killers will be able to support Android 14, the latest AI-focused software, as well as the different flavors of Android from each manufacturer.

In the upcoming months, smartphones using the chipset should be available from Honor, iQOO, Realme, and Xiaomi.