Qualcomm's New AP 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 2' Expected to be 100% Equipped
[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] It is widely expected that most of the Galaxy S23 series, which Samsung Electronics will unveil early next year, will be equipped with Qualcomm's new application processor (AP), the 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.' Since Qualcomm announced that the proportion of Qualcomm APs for the S23 will be increased to 100%, expectations for smartphone performance have also risen. However, Samsung's intentions are considered complex, as it has been nurturing its own AP brand, 'Exynos,' through a separate business division.
Samsung Expected to Unpack S23 in the First Week of February Next Year
According to industry sources on the 17th, Samsung Electronics plans to hold an unpacking (new product launch) event in San Francisco, USA, during the first week of February next year to introduce the next Galaxy S23 series. This is more than two weeks earlier than the launch of the Galaxy S22 series on February 25 this year. It is interpreted as an effort to expedite the release of new products to counter the flagship smartphone competitor Apple.
The core of next year's Galaxy unpacking is expected to be the performance of the AP, known as the 'brain of the smartphone.' The AP is a key system semiconductor in mobile devices that controls two main factors: performance and heat generation. Apple has implemented high performance with its own silicon chips, the A15 Bionic and A16 Bionic chips, increasing the pressure on Qualcomm. The Qualcomm 'Snapdragon 8 Gen 1' used in this year's Galaxy S22 series was evaluated as falling short of the A15 in terms of heat generation.
The market expects Qualcomm's latest AP, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, to be installed in the Galaxy S23. According to Qualcomm's Q4 (July-September) earnings report this year, CFO Akash Palkhiwala said, "The Qualcomm application rate for the Galaxy S23 will rise to 100%." In the previous series, the Galaxy S22, Qualcomm's AP product Snapdragon was applied at 75%, and Samsung Electronics' own developed AP, such as the Exynos 2200, was also partially installed. This means the proportion will increase significantly.
The Unveiling of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
According to details Qualcomm recently revealed at the '2022 Snapdragon Summit,' the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is powered by its own artificial intelligence (AI) engine. Users can utilize enhanced Snapdragon Hexagon processors for multilingual translation and excellent AI camera functions. Customers can also experience faster natural language processing.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 automatically enhances photo and video performance in real time through semantic segmentation and supports new image sensors. It features an improved Qualcomm Adreno graphics processing unit (GPU) with up to 25% faster performance and a Qualcomm Kryo central processing unit (CPU) with up to 40% improved power efficiency, extending battery life. It is the first Snapdragon platform to support 5G+5G/4G dual SIM dual active, allowing the use of two SIM cards. It supports dynamic head tracking and spatial audio and offers 48kHz lossless audio streaming. Data and privacy protection features have also been enhanced.
Chris Patrick, Senior Vice President of Qualcomm Technologies and Head of the Mobile Handset Division, said, "Qualcomm Technologies supports users to do more and designs Snapdragon with this as the top priority. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will revolutionize the flagship smartphone industry in 2023."
The intense public interest in the S23 series is also a painful point for Samsung. It is evidence that the market's disappointment with its own AP brand, Exynos, is significant. The 'Exynos 2200,' which attracted attention through collaboration between Samsung Electronics' System LSI Business Division and AMD, showed performance below expectations. Previously, Samsung partnered with AMD to improve industry evaluations that its products consumed more power and had inferior GPU performance compared to Qualcomm Snapdragon products.
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