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The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx is Qualcomm’s another attempt to power a Windows 10 device. While the SD850 was the SD845 on steroids, its raw performance was just not enough to power Windows 10 and all its Chrome tabs. It did offer a lot in terms of battery life and integrated connectivity, now you also get the performance to rival the likes of Intel and AMD’s solutions.

Built from the ground up with the primary intention to run a Windows 10 PC, the Snapdragon 8cx should deliver on most of its promises. Reviews of the SoC running on its intended platform has been positive so far and we expect nothing less. Let’s start with its specifications to get a brief idea of how it will perform in theory.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Specifications

• CPU: 8x Qualcomm Kryo 495 CPU
• Architecture: 64-bit
• Process: 7nm
• DSP: Qualcomm Hexagon 690 (Qualcomm Always Aware Technology)
• Cellular Modem: Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE modem
• Wi-Fi: 802.11ad Wi-Fi standards
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• Location: Assisted GPS, OTDOA, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS
• NFC: Yes
• RF: Qualcomm RF Front-End solution; Qualcomm Adaptive Antenna Tuning; High-power transmit
• USB: USB 3.1
• Camera: Qualcomm Spectra 390; up to 16MP dual camera; up to 32MP single camera
• Video: Up to 4k video capture; up to 720p@480fps capture; 4k@120fps playback
• Display: Up to 4k on display, up to two 4k external display support
• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 680 GPU; DX12 API support
• Memory: 2133MHz; LPDDR4x, 8 Channels
• Storage: NVMe SSD; UFS 3.0

The company does say the Snapdragon 8cx will pack twice the performance as compared to the Snapdragon 850. While the new Adreno 680 GPU will handle a 4k on device display with ease, it can also do two 4k external displays as well. Looking at the specs and it’s predecessor, it should easily beat the likes of selected Intel U series processors.

While it can do two 4k HDR displays, 4k HDR videos at 120fps are also playable through hardware acceleration. Qualcomm does mention it offer 2X more graphical performance, this seems justifiable enough. It also runs on the new 7nm architecture, with new Kryo 495 cores, and class-leading cellular as well as wireless capabilities.

Also Read: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 announced

The Snapdragon 8cx comes with Qualcomm’s x24, but we would have loved to see the x50 5G modem for obvious reasons. The integrated X24 Cat.20 LTE modem, in theory, has a peak download speed of 2Gbps and upload speeds of 316Mbps. As for local wireless connectivity, 802.11ad Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 are also supported.

Now, Qualcomm calls this the “fastest Snapdragon ever”, which isn’t a surprise as laptops and 2-in-1 devices have a higher tolerance for heat compared to a traditional smartphone. Qualcomm also claims multiday battery life, with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ for charging. Qualcomm’s 4th generation AI engine is on board too.

While all this seem promising for now, a certification for Windows 10 Enterprises should boost adoption rates. Although we won’t be seeing a laptop or 2 in 1 device with the Snapdragon 8cx before mid-2019.

Source: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform

After a 2-day conference in Hawaii, Qualcomm has fully revealed its latest and the greatest chipset. All hail the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855! This is the company’s first chipset based on the 7nm technology, like Huawei’s Kirin 980. But the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 has a lot many improvements. And rightly so, as this chip will be powering numerous flagships in the coming year. The Snapdragon 855 focuses on better AI capabilities, a more powerful GPU, better performance and faster connectivity, as it moves to harness the 5G technology.

Now previously, there were leaks about this very chipset under the name Snapdragon 8150. But that was only the code name, the final product will be marketed as the Snapdragon 855. So, don’t confuse one with the other. They’re the same.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Chipset Overview

This chipset has 8 cores, just like most others, but it now has a new CPU configuration. The cores comprise of a single 2.84 GHz Cortex A76, three 2.42 GHz Cortex A76 and four 1.8 GHz Cortex A-55. In detail, that would mean a lot of technical jargon. But, basically, a 1+3+4 core design means higher single thread performance sustainable for longer periods of time. This new tailored design should also mean a 45% boost in CPU performance from the last gen, according to the company.

Similarly, the new chip can support image processing from up to a 48 MP single camera or 24 MP dual cameras. Also, it can even support recording 4K and HDR videos at 60 fps. Not only that, but this phone is also sporting HDR10+ playback at 120 fps and 8K video playback too! While that certainly means raw power, we think it is too much of an overkill for mobile devices.

Also, the 855 packs a more powerful Adreno 640 GPU, which should mean a 20% boost in gaming performance. The GPU also offers an HDR pipeline to support high-quality physically-based rendering.

Besides that, the major improvement the Snapdragon 855 provides is in the AI and machine learning department. Now “AI” has been the buzz-word in 2018, with phones trying to beat each other to who’s going to get to the best AI-integration first. And in the Snapdragon 855, Qualcomm puts a Hexagon 690 DSP unit. The Hexagon 690 is an improved Digital Signal Processor with 2 additional vector processing units that double the chip’s math crunching capabilities. In layman’s terms, this means up to 3 times increment in Qualcomm’s AI performance. The company also boasts that it is 2 times faster than the Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset.

Lastly, the chip is emphasizing on better connectivity with 5G. But, the chip does not have a built-in 5G modem. Qualcomm’s 5G modem, the X50, is not yet fully optimized to be integrated into the SoC itself. But the SD855 can be paired with the X50 modem and radio antennas much better to harness the 5G connectivity.

So, in a nutshell, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 focuses on 5 things: Better Performance, better GPU performance, more powerful AI processing, better image processing, and better connectivity. It seems like the dragon has awoken!

Availability

And since it is now official, it is only a question of which smartphone will get to put one in their smartphone first. As the records show, it is always Samsung’s flagships, but this time around, it might air on a new OnePlus device first, as stated by the CEO of OnePlus, Pete Lau. There is no official mention of which smartphone, but it should arrive before the Samsung Galaxy S10, which will come out in February. Considering the company only launched the OnePlus 6T in October, it won’t be the OnePlus 7. So, maybe we’ll also see a new lineup of devices from the Chinese company.