With an Eye on On-Device AI, Qualcomm Rolls Out New Snapdragon SoC
The new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor comes with CPU and memory performance increases, Wi-Fi 7, and enhanced edge AI capabilities for mobile devices.
The march toward AI everywhere continues with Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon 7 processor yet, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3. The new processor delivers a 15% increase in CPU performance and a 45% GPU performance boost over prior versions. It comes with on-chip generative AI and Wi-Fi 7 support, delivered by a higher-end CPU, improved graphics processing unit (GPU), and AI-specific neural processing unit (NPU).
With the newest generations of mobile processors coming online, generative AI is moving from the sole purview of server farms to edge devices. In the cell phone world, generative AI is used to improve photo capture and post-processing, enhance the gaming experience, assist day-to-day activities, and help with written content composition, all handled in the phone itself.
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3. Image used courtesy of Qualcomm
The Snapdragon 7 series processors lie at the upper end of Qualcomm's portfolio, just below its top performer, the Snapdragon 8 series. While the 8 series targets Android flagship phones, the 7 series brings the latest in AI and communications to the step just below the top.
Key Differentiators of the Snapdragon 7 Lineup
Qualcomm has an extensive Snapdragon portfolio, with three processors under the Snapdragon 7 banner. Here's how the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 stands apart from its most recent predecessors.
|
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 (SM7675-AB) |
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 (SM7475-AB) |
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (SM7550-AB) |
|
|
CPU cores |
1x Cortex-X4, 2.8 GHz 4x Cortex-A720, 2.6 GHz 3x Cortex-A520, 1.9 GHz |
1x Cortex-X2, 2.91 GHz 3x Cortex-A710, 2.49 GHz 4x Cortex-A510, 1.8 GHz |
1x Cortex-A715, 2.63 GHz 3x Cortex-A715, 2.4 GHz 4x Cortex-A510, .8 GHz |
|
GPU |
Qualcomm Adreno |
Qualcomm Adreno |
Qualcomm Adreno |
|
DSP/NSP |
Qualcomm Hexagon |
Qualcomm Hexagon |
Qualcomm Hexagon |
| Memory controller |
4x 16-bit CH |
2x 16-bit CH |
2x 16-bit CH |
|
Memory bus |
64-bit LPDDR5X |
32-bit LPDDR5 |
32-bit LPDDR5 |
| Radio standard |
FastConnect 7800 Wi-Fi 7 + BT 5.4 2x2 MIMO |
FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi 6E + BT 5.3 2x2 MIMO |
FastConnect 6700 Wi-Fi 6E + BT 5.3 2x2 MIMO |
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 Performance Upgrades
The new 7+ Gen 3 processor includes AI features that create an immersive experience while gaming, listening, and viewing, all while using less power than prior processor generations. In addition to the multi-core 64-bit Arm Cortex CPU, the newest Snapdragon comes with a GPU and NPU. The processor can automate photo editing, remove unwanted background objects, fix expressions, and improve apparent composition in near real-time. Spatial sound processing with head tracking adds to the experience, with sounds that follow and simulate an improved acoustic environment.
A big part of the performance gains come with the move from a 32-bit LPDDR5 memory bus in the prior 7 series to 64-bit LPDDR5X in the 7+ Gen 3. Performance increases also come with an upgraded main CPU performance core. The Arm Cortex-X4 in the 7+ Gen 3 is the highest-performance core Qualcomm offers. It outperforms the Cortex-X2 and Cortex-A715 in the 7+ Gen 2 and 7 Gen 3, respectively. The 7+ Gen 3 spins the X4 up to 2.8 GHz, slightly less than the 3 GHz+ speeds in the top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips.
To keep up with the latest in Wi-Fi, the 7+ Gen 3 comes with Wi-Fi 7 with high-band simultaneous (HBS) multi-link. HBS multi-link uses two radios to combine either two six channels from the 6-GHz or 5-GHz Wi-Fi bands for up to double the data speed of Wi-Fi 6/6E.
On to the Market
According to Qualcomm, the first phones using the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 will come from OnePlus, Realme, and Sharp, with more implementations to follow. Phones from these vendors are expected to start shipping within the next few months.
