latest
Snapdragon X: Everything you need to know about Qualcomm's Arm computing chips
The Snapdragon X Elite will finally reach laptops very soon, and here's everything you need to know about the X series.
Qualcomm has been talking about the Snapdragon X series for quite a while now, with its custom Oryon cores first being announced way back in 2022. These cores and the Snapdragon X series of SoCs are Qualcomm's answer to Apple's Arm-based chips, and they should be arriving for the first time this summer.
Windows games should "just work" on upcoming Snapdragon X Elite laptops
If you like to play x64 games, Qualcomm is saying those should just work on upcoming Snapdragon X Elite devices.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips were announced last year at the company's Snapdragon Summit, and that's been followed with a trickle of information over time such as benchmarks and expected availability. Now, at a GDC session hosted by Qualcomm, Qualcomm engineer Issam Khalil said that emulation will ensure that x86/x64 games will run at full speed on Windows on Arm laptops launching with the Snapdragon X Elite.
Qualcomm's AI Hub will bring Stable Diffusion, Whisper, and more to Snapdragon devices
Qualcomm's AI hub will bring Stable Diffusion, Whisper, and a ton of other models to Snapdragon devices, including the Snapdragon X Elite.
AI is all the rage, and Qualcomm is absolutely no stranger to it. The company has been touting its prowess in the field for years at this point, banging the drum of superiority in its NPUs when it comes to on-device processing and image processing. Now the company is taking it a step further by launching its own AI Hub, a library of pre-optimized models for deployment on Snapdragon and Qualcomm platforms.
Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is a joint collaboration between Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm
Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is a collaboration between three industry heavy-hitters, and there's going to be a Samsung XR device in the future.
When it comes to eXtended Reality (XR) devices, Qualcomm's SoCs have been the default for many of the most popular VR headsets on the market. The Pico 4 VR and the Meta Quest 2 both have the original Snapdragon XR2, and the recently-released Meta Quest 3 has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 SoC. Now, Qualcomm is announcing the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, and it seems to be, at least in part, a product of collaboration with Google and Samsung.
Why Snapdragon X Elite will fix my least favorite parts of Windows
Snapdragon X Elite is Qualcomm's first custom Arm64 processor, and it will fix some of the worst things about Windows laptops.
Although Qualcomm has been making processors made for Windows on Arm for years, its latest Snapdragon X Elite processor finally looks to make good on the company's promises. This chip is Qualcomm's first fully-custom Arm64 chip, which naturally puts it right up against Apple Silicon. While Apple has figured out how to make powerful and efficient computers, Windows has lagged behind. But with the release of Snapdragon X Elite, there are key performance and quality-of-life enhancements coming that will fix some of the worst parts of Windows. Here's what we're expecting from the Snapdragon X Elite chip, and why it matters for every Windows user.
Here's how Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should perform
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, here is what to expect from the next generation of flagships next year.
Earlier this week, Qualcomm pulled the wraps off the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at the company’s annual tech summit in Hawaii. On the face of it, this might look just like another incremental upgrade over its predecessor. This is in great part courtesy of Qualcomm’s ambiguous naming of its onboard Kryo CPU cores Adreno GPU, as well as being built on the same 4 nm manufacturing process. However, if Qualcomm’s claims are to be believed, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 represents more than just another incremental upgrade over its predecessor.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to be manufactured on TSMC's 4nm process
Being manufactured on TSMC N4P is not a bad thing, though.
When it comes to SoCs on Android phones, more specifically flagship phones, it is fair to say that Qualcomm has reigned supreme for a long while now, so much so that even Samsung withdrew from the race altogether last year. When factoring in Apple’s iPhones in the equation though, it is hard to deny that Apple comfortably takes the lead across the board with its SoCs. However, if the rumors are to be believed, Qualcomm is set to give Apple some fierce competition with its upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.
3 reasons I'm excited about next year's Snapdragon laptops
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X chips are coming to shake up the PC industry dominated by Intel and AMD and it has me excited for three reasons.
If you shop around for a great new laptop right now, you'll probably see that it features either an Intel or AMD processor under the hood. If you're looking for a Mac, meanwhile you're going to get something with an Arm-based Apple silicon chip powering it. Next year, though, you might see a new kind of laptop, featuring Snapdragon X series chips. This is a new Arm-based chip from Snapdragon for laptops, intended to take on Apple's own custom chips. Specs for the chip just leaked, and we expect to hear more about it during the Snapdragon Summit later this week, but even before then, I'm still pumped.
Snapdragon G1, G2, G3x Gen 2 explained: Everything there is to know
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon G1, G2, and G3x Gen 2 have just been unveiled, and we have everything there is to know so far.
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 back in 2021, with the G3x Gen 1 arriving in the form of a reference device developed by Razer. Following that, Razer released a consumer product at the start of this year, the Razer Edge, and we found the chipset to essentially be just an upgraded Snapdragon 888. Now we've got three new chipsets: the Snapdragon G1 Gen 1, the Snapdragon G2 Gen 1, and the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is set to power upcoming budget smartphones in 2023
Qualcomm has announced its next processor for mobile, which is expected to arrive in lower-end devices this year.
Qualcomm's known for its impressive chipsets, with its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors residing in some of the best Android smartphones released this year. But the company isn't just pouring all its resources into its top-end chip since it also produces processors like the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 Snapdragon, which provide power for mid-range devices. Now, Qualcomm is debuting its latest processor for lower-range devices with the announcement of its Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 mobile platform.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors will continue to power Sony smartphones with new deal
Qualcomm and Sony have agreed to a new multi-year agreement that ensures Snapdragon processors will power upcoming Xperia smartphones.
Despite the lack of coverage, Sony Android smartphones have been released every year like clockwork over the past decade, and now it looks like that tradition will continue with a new collaboration agreement that has been reached between Qualcomm and Sony. While details of the agreement weren't shared, it looks like Sony smartphones will continue to utilize Snapdragon processors for at least the next couple of years.
The Pixel Watch 2 will reportedly get a major bump in performance and battery life
Google's Pixel Watch 2 will reportedly feature a Snapdragon W5 SoC, better battery life, and new health sensors.
Google's next Pixel Watch is allegedly on the horizon, set to arrive alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Now, it looks like more news about the watch is rising to the surface, with reports that it will arrive with a Qualcomm W5 processor, improved battery life, and new sensors for health tracking. As far as when it could arrive, reports suggest that it will debut in October, which is when Google's main Pixel devices have traditionally launched in the past.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon Game Super Resolution is basically DLSS for mobile
Qualcomm's Snapdragon Game Super Resolution will improve both performance and battery life in some of your favourite games.
Gaming is a booming industry, and not everyone has the best, most powerful hardware to play their favorite games on. That's partially why Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) was pioneered by Nvidia in its RTX 3000 series. AMD followed suit by releasing a similar technology called FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), and now Qualcomm is introducing its own version of the technology for mobile devices. Dubbed Snapdragon Game Super Resolution (GSR), it aims to upscale game content and provide users with better performance.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 leak seemingly reveals CPU configuration and no 32-bit support
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is several months away, but we already have an idea of what to expect.
We're several months out from the next Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, but we're already getting our first glimpse at what's very likely to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 thanks to Kuba Wojciechowski. Wojciechowski shared details about the core layout of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which packs unannounced Arm cores and an extra core cluster, too. If his name sounds familiar, he has leaked other information in the past pertaining to the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is the mid-range chipset to get in 2023
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 looks to be a downgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 at a lower price.
Qualcomm's biggest release of the year is always its flagship chipsets, but arguably the most important release is its range of mid-range chips. Most people aren't buying flagship phones, but they want a device that will still last a number of years and be reasonably powerful for most of what they want to do. That's why the Snapdragon 7 series exists, and the company has just announced the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2.
Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1: Everything you need to know about this mobile gaming chipset
The Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 has officially hit the consumer market with the Razer Edge. But what exactly is this mobile gaming chipset?
When Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in 2021 with its 30% GPU improvement and other energy efficiency gains, the company had another interesting announcement the following day. It revealed the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 gaming platform, with a large focus on, you guessed it, gaming. At the time, Qualcomm also rolled out a development kit created by Razer, and since then, the Razer Edge with the G3x Gen 1 has been released for portable mobile gaming.
The latest Snapdragon 7 series chip doesn't follow Qualcomm's updated branding
The new Snapdragon 782G brings a minor performance improvement over the Snapdragon 778G Plus, but it's no Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
After announcing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 at the Snapdragon Summit earlier this month, Qualcomm has quietly launched a new mid-range chipset. The new Snapdragon 7 series SoC succeeds the Snapdragon 778G Plus from last year and brings minor performance improvements. The new Snapdragon 782G doesn't follow Qualcomm's updated branding, likely because it doesn't feature the same improvements as the more premium Snapdragon 7 Gen 1.
Qualcomm debuts the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 for thin, high-performance AR glasses
The chipset will make an appearance on upcoming AR glasses from Lenovo, Nreal, LG, Oppo, TCL, Xiaomi, and more!
Alongside its latest flagship SoC for smartphones, Qualcomm debuted a new augmented reality platform for next-gen AR smart glasses during its ongoing Snapdragon Summit today. The new Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 is part of Qualcomm's extended reality (XR) portfolio and brings several improvements over the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 from 2019. However, unlike the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 and the recently released XR2 Plus Gen 1, the new platform is only designed to power AR experiences.
Qualcomm vs Intel vs AMD Chromebook: A detailed comparison
In this comparison we look at the performance of Intel vs AMD vs Qualcomm Chromebooks in a variety of benchmarks. We also discuss battery.
Chromebooks come in a variety of configurations. One aspect you might not consider when buying a new Chromebook is the processor. While processor speed and benchmarks are all the rage for many PC users, those looking for a Chromebook typically give these things less weight. That doesn't mean raw processing power isn't important. If you want to run demanding Linux apps, Android games, or open a hundred Chrome tabs, a capable processor is key. Let's talk about Qualcomm vs Intel vs AMD in Chromebooks today.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G 5G will power a new generation of mid-range 5G phones
Qualcomm has just launched the Snapdragon 778G chipset, a new premium mid-range chipset with powerful 5G connectivity. Read on.
Earlier in March, Qualcomm refreshed the Snapdragon 7 series lineup with the launch of the Snapdragon 780G. While the new chip has only found its way to a single commercial device (the Mi 11 Lite 5G), the San Diego-based chipmaker is adding one more 7 series chip to its portfolio. Meet the Snapdragon 778G: the successor to last year's Snapdragon 768G.