Apple may currently rule the roost when it comes to sheer smartphone power but Android will fight back this year. US technology giant Qualcomm is hoping that its upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor can take on the might of the iPhone’s A16 Bionic processor that currently leads the speed league.
The Gen 2 was revealed late last year during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii and, on paper, it certainly appears impressive with the new chip offering more power, improved gaming, tighter security and better efficiency which should mean longer battery life.
Future Android phones that feature this chip could see gains of around 25 percent over last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 which is a pretty mighty boost. The update brings improved Artificial Intelligence to devices which will make tasks such as facial recognition feel a lot smoother.
Budding photographers will see their images get a boost thanks to the Gen 2’s ability to tweak the camera settings in real-time to help snap perfect photos.
Other features enabled by this chip include blisteringly quick downloads thanks to more powerful 5G and access to new Wi-Fi 7 technology plus there’s better audio for those who love their wireless earbuds.
Qualcomm also revealed that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset will be the firm’s first to support ray tracing. Ray tracing is a graphics rendering process which has been a huge selling point of the latest generation of consoles and high-end PCs. Once released it could make the next generation of Android phones the go-to choice for gamers.
Manufacturers that have already confirmed the use of the Gen 2 include Sony, Oppo, Motorola, Xiaomi and OnePlus with some devices expected to launch within the next few months.
We also expect Samsung to adopt this latest brain with the Korean tech giant looking almost certain to feature the Gen 2 in all of its upcoming flagship Galaxy S23 phones.
That would be a major change from previous years with Samsung usually using its own Exynos processor in certain markets such as the UK. Although Samsung remains tight-lipped about its future plans, Qualcomm has hinted that its 8 Gen 2 will be used globally in the S23.
Speaking during an investors call late last year, Qualcomm boss Christiano Amon said: “I think what we see right now is, structurally, we’re very well positioned.
“In handsets, we entered into a new multiyear agreement with Samsung, expanding the use of Snapdragon platforms for future premium Samsung Galaxy products globally.
“We expect in the March quarter also to see the benefit of our increased share of Samsung.”
The future certainly looks bright for this year’s batch of Android phones and you haven’t upgraded in a while 2023 could be a good time to take the plunge.
