This year’s Snapdragon Summit unveiled two new mobile chipsets and revealed the discontinuation of the 8s range. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 were introduced by Qualcomm, targeting distinct market segments.
During the event, Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager of Mobile, Compute, & XR (MCX), confirmed that the Snapdragon 8s series will no longer be produced. Instead, the 8s will transition into the 8 Gen, offering a premium experience for consumers.
Explaining the rationale behind this decision, Katouzian stated, “I think it’s good that way because we started experimenting with the 8s just to see how the market will start to bifurcate, but the results that came back were actually that [paraphrasing its customers] ‘It should be a premium experience, I can’t have a sub-tier’.”
Qualcomm’s decision to streamline its flagship 8 series with the Elite and regular versions aims to simplify its product offerings. Premium devices will feature Elite chips, while more affordable models will utilize the regular version with slightly reduced specifications.
While the naming convention may have been confusing in the past, Qualcomm’s new approach is designed to provide clarity for consumers. The Elite chips will cater to flagship smartphones, while the regular version will target entry-level flagships and mid-range devices.
The exact release date for devices equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is currently unknown, but consumers can expect them to hit the market soon. The Xiaomi 17 range is set to be the first lineup to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.
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Qualcomm sponsored my travel expenses to attend its Snapdragon Technology Summit. However, the company did not influence or control the content produced by Tech Advisor.