Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Qualcomm's next flagship chip could launch early
- A rumor claims Qualcomm’s next-generation flagship SoC could launch earlier than expected.
- The rumor suggests the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could arrive as early as October.
- The new chip may use a new, more energy-efficient core configuration.
Shortly after the Galaxy S23 series launch event earlier this month, we learned that the S23’s custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip — called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy — may in fact be the Plus model. This, of course, brought up the unavoidable question of whether Qualcomm will skip the launch of an official Plus version of its latest chip. A new rumor suggests that Qualcomm may indeed move on to the next generation and it could arrive sooner than expected.
According to a known leaker on Weibo (spotted by the Chinese outlet ITHome), Qualcomm’s next flagship SoC could be released earlier than usual. The rumor suggests that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could launch as early as the end of October.
Typically, Qualcomm holds an event in Hawaii sometime in December to announce the launch of its next chipset. If this rumor is true, it would push the launch up by a couple of months. However, in 2022, the company did its announcement about a month early on November 15. So it’s clear that Qualcomm isn’t afraid to adjust its schedule as it sees fit.
It’s also rumored that the Gen 3 chip could have a new configuration. Believed to have the codename “Lanai” with the internal model number SM8650, the SoC may have a 1+5+2 core configuration. For comparison, Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy uses a 1+4+3 configuration. The new configuration may boost energy efficiency by 20%.
As with any rumor, take this with a grain of salt. If you’d like to know more about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, check out our deep dive into Qualcomm’s high-end chip.