Qualcomm has announced the next iteration of its Snapdragon line of processors, the flagship Snapdragon 888.
Qualcomm is one of the leading makers of mobile chips, used in Android smartphones and tablets. Based on ARM designs, Snapdragon is used in some of the premier devices on the market.
The new Snapdragon 888 makes significant improvement on previous generations, especially in performance, AI and connectivity.
“Qualcomm’s history of breakthrough technology inventions has paved the way for our continued leadership in the premium-tier mobile segment,” said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager of mobile, compute and infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The new flagship Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform will enable OEMs to further differentiate their devices and allows users to experience the latest cutting-edge mobile technologies.”
When it comes to performance, the Snapdragon 888 is based on 5nm process technology, giving up to 25% better overall CPU performance and top speeds up to 2.84 GHz. The 888 also includes an integrated 5G modem, unlike the previous generation that had to be paired with a discreet modem.
Qualcomm touts the Snapdragon 888’s AI abilities as “the biggest architectural leap forward in AI. The completely re-designed 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine with the new Qualcomm® Hexagon 780 processor enables premium experiences that blend AI with professional cameras, personal voice assistants, elite gaming, lightning-fast connectivity and more.” Meanwhile, “the integrated 3rd generation Snapdragon X60 5G Modem-RF System enables support for 5G sub-6 carrier aggregation and mmWave to deliver the world’s fastest commercially available 5G speeds, up to 7.5 Gbps.”
The Snapdragon 888 should help smartphone manufacturers push the envelope of what’s possible, and usher in a new generation of mobile devices.