Qualcomm is shaking things up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, introducing custom-designed Oryon CPU cores for their next flagship mobile processor. This move signals a significant shift in their approach to smartphone SoCs.
A recent leak by Digital Chat Station hints at a massive performance leap for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. The high-performance core reportedly reaches a staggering clock speed of 4.2 GHz, a major jump from the 3 GHz of the Snapdragon 888+ released in 2021. Benchmarks from a lab prototype further solidify this claim, with scores exceeding 3,000 points in single-core and 10,000 points in multi-core tests (likely Geekbench).
This translates to a significant performance boost compared to the previous generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with improvements of 35.5% and 33.9% in single-core and multi-core performance, respectively. The chart below compares these scores to other leading smartphone SoCs:
| Processor | Single-Core | Multi-Core |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 (Leaked) | 3,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Apple A17 Pro | 2,999 | 7,903 |
| Dimensity 9300 | 2,264 | 7,857 |
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | 2,213 | 7,466 |
The tipster also confirmed that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm manufacturing process, further enhancing performance and efficiency.
Potential Price Increase
While these advancements are exciting, they may come at a cost. The 3nm process is more expensive, leading to a potential price hike for smartphones using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. A recent report suggests these phones could cost around 4,500 yuan (~₱36,497.00), a 500 yuan (~₱4,055.22) increase compared to the Xiaomi 14’s starting price. The same report also names Xiaomi 15 as a possible first adopter of this powerful new SoC.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s leaked specifications paint a picture of a groundbreaking mobile processor. With custom cores, record-breaking clock speeds, and significant performance gains, it’s set to push the boundaries of mobile gaming and demanding applications. While the potential price increase might be a concern, it’s a small price to pay for such a leap forward in processing power.
