Tag: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

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Mobile Syrup

OnePlus 10T might not feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip

Following rumours about a 12GB OnePlus 10 Pro, new reports have surfaced about a possible OnePlus 10T.

According to Android Authority, the OnePlus 10T will be OnePlus’ next flagship device. That said, in a recent tweet, leaker Yogesh Brar claims that the new device (apparently codenamed ‘Ovaltine’) will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip.

However, @AllAboutSamsung writer Max Jambor contradicted Brar’s claim, stating that the rumoured smartphone is the 10T and that it won’t feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.

According to Brar, the OnePlus Ovaltine could offer the following specs:

  • 6.7 inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
  • Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
  • 50MP (OIS) triple camera setup
  • 32MP selfies
  • OxygenOS 12
  • 4,800mAh battery

The OnePlus 10 Pro was released in Canada back in April 2022. You can find out the review of the smartphone, here.

Sources: @heyitsyogesh, @MaxJmb Via: Android Authority 
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Mobile Syrup

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with battery life improvements

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip has finally been announced, and as expected, the chip offers better performance and battery life over its predecessor.

Additionally, Qualcomm says that the new processor features a 10 percent speed increase, 20 percent higher performance-per-watt for AI and boasts a 30 percent power reduction, which should offer you an extra hour of battery life.

In Q3, Qualcomm expects partners like Asus, Honor, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi to include the chip in their devices. Rumours point to Samsung also using the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 this summer in its yet-to-be-announced foldable devices.

Qualcomm has also announced the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 for upper-mid-range Android devices. It features an upgraded GPU that’s 20 percent faster than its predecessor’s GPU and AI processing that’s 30 percent quicker. With the 7 series, you’ll also be able to shoot simultaneously from three cameras. Other new features include on-chip security upgrades and share audio upgrades.

The first Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 phones will start releasing in June from brands like Honor, Xiaomi and Oppo. However, it’s highly unlikely any of these devices will make their way to Canada.

Source: Qualcomm

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Mobile Syrup

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon chip supports always-on cameras

Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip at its annual Tech Summit on November 30th. There’s a lot to be excited about with the new chip.

Unfortunately, there are a few things to be wary of too, like the always-on camera capability.

Qualcomm seems convinced that adding an image signal processor (ISP) dedicated to running the camera all the time is a good idea. In fact, when Qualcomm talked about the always-on camera during its four-hour Tech Summit live stream (it happens around hour three, and you can check it out here or below), it said its vision was to “enhance privacy and security” using the always-on camera.

If that sounds completely counterintuitive, you’re not wrong. Qualcomm’s pitch is that the always-on camera can constantly scan for your face and automatically lock your phone if you look away or enable privacy features if it detects you’re looking at your phone with someone else. One example the company shared was that the chip could temporarily hide notifications when it detects you’re showing your screen to someone else.

Except, that’s not really the main privacy concern people have with an always-on camera. I’m more worried about my phone always watching me than I am about the people around me getting a glimpse of my screen.

What’s worse is that this will exacerbate existing privacy and security concerns. We’ve got always-on microphones in our phones now and those have brought a host of problems. I am not looking forward to the can of worms that an always-on camera will open.

Qualcomm says users can disable the always-on camera, but that isn’t enough

All that said, The Verge reports that Qualcomm’s VP of product management, Ziad Asghar, said that users will be able to disable the always-on camera, or possibly even choose which always-on camera features they want to use.

Further, it’s worth considering that phone manufacturers may not use the feature. Qualcomm makes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but other companies make the phones that run on those chips. Samsung, OnePlus and others could skip the feature entirely.

There are other potential solutions to the always-on camera thing as well, although few are elegant. Android 12 includes the ability to disable the camera and microphone via a software toggle — that could be one way of temporarily disabling the always-on camera (assuming you get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 device running on Android 12). Phones could include a physical camera shutter, like what’s become popular on laptops. However, I doubt many manufacturers will want to integrate a physical shutter into their smartphone designs. Heck, maybe people will start sticking tape over their phone’s camera too.

Ultimately, there will likely be phones that don’t do any of that and ship with the always-on camera feature. Perhaps the worst part about the always-on camera in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is it could set a precedent that leads to other companies including the capability in a race to keep up. And if that happens, it’s only a matter of time until someone messes up and the always-on camera goes from privacy concern to privacy nightmare.

Image credit: Qualcomm

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Mobile Syrup

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip with improved camera, AI features

Qualcomm announced its newest flagship system-on-a-chip (SoC) at its annual Tech Summit event in Hawaii on November 30th. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 succeeds last year’s Snapdragon 888, ushering in new branding and higher performance.

Despite the new name, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 still focuses on 5G, AI, gaming and more. On the connectivity side, the 8 Gen 1 boasts the 4th gen Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF system, which Qualcomm says can hit 10-gigabit download speeds. Moreover, Qualcomm’s FastConnect 6900 system returns, offering support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E with speeds up to 3.6Gbps.

Image processing is another important area this year, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sight technology including the first 18-bit image signal processor (ISP) ever for mobile. Qualcomm says the ISP can capture over 4,000x more camera data than its predecessor for better dynamic range, colour and sharpness. Capture speeds can go as high as 3.2-gigapixels per second.

Qualcomm says the new Snapdragon Sight system is the first mobile platform capable of capturing 8K HDR video using the HDR10+ format. There’s a new ‘Bokeh Engine’ as well that can add soft backgrounds to video. The company compared the capability to portrait mode, but it sounds a lot like Apple’s new Cinematic Mode to me.

Finally, Qualcomm’s camera tech includes a fourth, separate ‘Always-On ISP’ that can run the camera at low power for faster face unlock features.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 boasts improved AI chops

On the artificial intelligence (AI) side, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 includes Qualcomm’s 7th gen AI Engine running on the high-performance Qualcomm Hexagon processor. Qualcomm says it features a two times faster tensor accelerator and two times larger shared memory than its predecessor. It also has integrated ‘Leica Leitz Look’ filters to improve image quality, particularly bokeh.

The AI Engine also includes language processing from ‘Hugging Face,’ which Qualcomm says can intelligently serve as users’ personal assistant by prioritizing and analyzing notifications. Qualcomm worked with Sonde Health to use on-device AI to accelerate models that analyze users’ vocal patterns to determine risk for health conditions like asthma, depression and COVID-19. Finally, the AI Engine includes Qualcomm’s 3rd gen Sensing Hub for always-on AI systems processed in a low-power environment.

As usual, Qualcomm made some bold claims about gaming on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. First, the SoC includes “over 50 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features” and delivers “desktop-level capabilities.” The most important thing here is the improved performance of the Adreno GPU in the 8 Gen 1. Qualcomm says it has a 30 percent boost in graphics rendering capabilities and a 25 percent improvement in power savings compared to the previous generation.

Other features include the ‘Adreno Frame Motion Engine,’ which Qualcomm says can generate twice as many frames while maintaining the same power consumption.  There’s also ‘Variable Rate Shading Pro’ and a volumetric rendering solution that Qualcomm claims brings “unrivalled realism” to game effects like fog, smoke and particle effects.

Better sound and improved security

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will support Bluetooth 5.2 and Snapdragon Sound tech, including Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless tech and new low-energy (LE) audio features.

When it comes to security, Qualcomm described the new chip as “vault-like.” It’s the first Snapdragon platform to include a dedicated ‘Trust Management Engine’ for security and it supports ‘Android Ready SE’ for digital car keys, driver’s licenses and more.

As with any major new chip release, it’s important to manage expectations and wait for real-world tests. Qualcomm certainly makes the 8 Gen 1 sound like a major improvement over the Snapdragon 888. And while it likely is better, it remains to be seen just how much better it actually is.

You can learn more about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on Qualcomm’s website.

Images credit: Qualcomm