Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 unveiled with new ARMv9 CPU cores and new Adreno GPU architecture

Qualcomm has unveiled its next-generation chipset for its flagship Android device, which has been improved across the board. In a sense, this is a complete departure from the previous design, as it transitions to a new ARMv9 instruction set and a new naming scheme. We won’t have to wait long to see it in action. The first commercially available phones with the new chip will arrive before the end of the year.

Meet the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is a new naming scheme for classes (8 is flagship) and generations. It is the first 4nm Qualcomm chipset and the first chipset to use a next-generation CPU architecture. There is much to talk about the camera hardware, so we`ll break that out into a separate article.
The CPU maintains the three cluster design, however, the cores are now based on the ARMv9 designs. This means that the prime core is a CortexX2 and it will run at 3.0GHz. Backing it are three performance cores based on the CortexA710, those will run at 2.5GHz, and four efficiency cores based on the A510 running at 1.8GHz.
Overall, the new CPU will be 20�ster than the one in the Snapdragon 888 while also reducing power usage by up to 30%.
Moving over to the GPU, the new Adreno promises a 30% performance boost and up to 25% power saving thanks to its new architecture. Qualcomm actually developed three Elite Gaming features, one of which will allow developers to strike a balance between performance and power efficiency.

The Adreno frame motion engine allows the GPU to render games at twice the frame rate while using the same power. Or you can cut the power consumption in half while keeping the FPS at the same level. Another new
feature is volumetric rendering for the desktop. Volumetric lighting is used to create dramatic lighting effects such as divine rays that level designers love so much. Also new is Variable Rate Shading Pro, an image-based VRS that makes it easy to integrate VRS into more games. Qualcomm has partnered with some of the largest game developers to ensure that their games get the most out of their hardware. The
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is equipped with a built-in X65 5G modem that supports both Sub6 and mmWave and is capable of delivering the highest theoretical speed of 10Gbps. For the first time, it also supports uplink carrier aggregation.
Local Link supports Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, and Bluetooth is also improved. The new chip can transmit lossless audio from CDs via Bluetooth LE. It supports Bluetooth LE audio, which is a major advancement over existing technology. The broadcast audio feature allows one source to broadcast one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of receivers. In addition to audio channels, stereo recording is also supported.

Qualcomm also worked to improve the security of the chip by introducing a trust management mechanism that would be placed under the hypervisor (introduced in 888). The TME remains secure even if the secure area above it is compromised. The first flagship based on the
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will be available before the end of the year and will be announced soon.