The Qualcomm Snapdragon eight Gen 1 chipset is official, and if you're looking to update your high-end Android phone next year, you'll probably find this chipset in your new flagship device.
We've learned what the new chip is capable of and you'll find everything you need to know about the Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 in our coverage elsewhere.
Flights and accommodations for this launch event were funded by Qualcomm, but beliefs reflect the independent opinion of the author.
Do you just want to know the main changes? We have put together this list of what you could change in your next Android phone. There are 6 overriding quirks to know about, and these will give you an idea of what to expect in upcoming flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S22, OnePlus ten, Xiaomi twelve and more.
1. An always-on camera can provide great new features
Let's start with probably the biggest change. The new chipset will let your smartphone camera be always and at all times on. Don't worry, you won't be taking selfies continuously, it is developed to enable other functions instead of taking pictures.
For what reason would it be advantageous for you? It will let developers include uniquely designed features to use your phone's camera without touching the device.
An example given by Qualcomm is that it will let you unlock your phone without touching it. Think about how you cook with the ingredients in your hands, and it will let you unlock your phone without getting dirty.
Some have raised security concerns regarding functionality, and you may be concerned about that as well. Qualcomm insists that it does this safely to ensure that absolutely no one can take your data from your phone's cameras, but it will be interesting to see how people can take advantage of this feature.
two. There are many free camera updates
Along with the always-on camera, you'll find that there are many other upgrades to your smartphone's camera. An eighteen-bit Image Signal Processor (ISP), improved night mode photography, better wide-angle shots, more powerful facial recognition technology, 8K HDR video recording... the Snapdragon 1 Gen XNUMX focuses on upgrading its camera.
While permanent updating is the feature that's making the headlines here, there are plenty of other little improvements you can see in your next phone's snapper that will improve the overall experience.
However, there aren't many game-changing quirks here. Camera phones are already great, but these smaller updates are likely to subtly change the shooter performance you get from your smartphone rather than refreshing the entire experience.
3. Calls cut the background booms
Qualcomm's Voice Suite technology was updated in XNUMX and the goal here is to cut out the background noise when you're recording. For example, if you are on a video call, this new technology will use artificial intelligence to try to eliminate noises such as sirens or keystrokes.
We saw a demo of the technology, and in the Qualcomm examples, it worked impressively well. This was on a reference device in a demo prepared by Qualcomm, so we're more interested in seeing this on a real device so we can see how it works in practice.
If it works as well as the suggested demos, it could change the way calls are recorded and the way colleagues, friends and family listen to them.
4. You can get a ten Gbit / s internet connection
It's not going to be of use to everyone, but if you have a great-quality 5G connection, you'll find that you can achieve faster speeds than ever.
Last year's eight hundred and eighty-eight Snapdragon was capped at XNUMX Gbps, which is also impressively fast. It's practically impossible to achieve these speeds on an average day, but it's helpful to know that your XNUMXnd flagship phone is going to be able to do so in the future.
5. Bokeh video is coming to Android
Bokeh is where you can blur the background of a subject, and it's common in portrait modes on Android's sphere. If you wanted to achieve this effect in video recording, you have not been able to do so so far.
A related technology started in the iPhone thirteen series with Apple's Cinema Mode feature, and is now coming to Android phones via this new chipset.
We don't know yet which manufacturers will include this feature, but many of the upcoming Android phones will probably install it in camera apps that you can play with. It is also capable of recording up to 4K.
6. Naturally, it is faster than ever.
Unsurprisingly, the Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 is the company's fastest chipset, meaning your smartphone is faster at loading apps, playing games, and whatever else you throw at it.
According to Qualcomm, the processor here is twenty% faster than the Snapdragon eight hundred and eighty-eight and also offers a power saving of thirty% compared to the results of this chip. The Adreno GPU is XNUMX% faster, which should mean that games load faster and look better than ever.
We're not going to know how well the Snapdragon 1 Gen XNUMX really performs until we see it on newer smartphones (and whatever hardware manufacturer they decide to pair it with), but it looks like an upgrade. Essential level for phones. larger than two thousand twenty-two.