Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Mobile Platform
Qualcomm has thus far unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, a new high-end System-on-Chip (SoC) intended for "flagship-adjacent" smartphones. A somewhat power-reduced alternative to the Elite version, the new chipset comes from TSMC's cutting-edge 3 nm manufacturing stream and is expected to later feature in devices like OnePlus 15R and Vivo X Fold 6.
CPU and Performance Architecture
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (model number: SM8845) utilizes Qualcomm's custom Oryon CPU cores in a 2P + 6E configuration that elegantly balances performance and efficiency
- Performance Cores: Two cores clocked at up to 3.8 GHz
- Efficiency Cores: Six cores clocked at up to 3.3 GHz
- Memory and Storage: Supports fast LPDDR5X-9600 RAM and UFS 4.1 storage
Gaming and Graphics Competency
Qualcomm did not name the GPU during the official announcement; however, according to some benchmark listings, the Adreno 840 graphics were used. Such an innovative graphics architecture brings in some serious visual performance
- Display Support: QHD+ display with 240 Hz refresh rate or 8K external display running at 30 Hz.
- Gaming Support: Real-time hardware-accelerated ray tracing with global illumination, supports Unreal Engine 5, and Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.1.
Connectivity and Media
For wireless capability, the chipset combines the Snapdragon X80 5G modem and FastConnect 7900 system, offering support for the most current Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Bluetooth LE protocols.
With respect to media capabilities, the chip utilizes Spectra ISP with support for,
- Camera: Single camera up to 320 MP.
- Video Recording: 4K at 120 FPS and 1080p at 480 FPS.
- Format: Full support for Dolby Vision, Google Ultra HDR, HDR10+, and codices like AV1 and H.265.
- Audio: Snapdragon Sound, aptX Lossless, and aptX Adaptive.
