Details of Qualcomm’s Next-Generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC Surface
Early with Restructured CPU Cluster and 64-bit Computing Support; Expected
Launch in Late 2023
Months before its anticipated release, information about Qualcomm’s
flagship SoC for the next generation began to emerge. The upcoming
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is expected to feature a new layout for its CPU
cluster, and it is anticipated that it will only support 64-bit computing by
removing all 32-bit support.
The chip is reportedly codenamed “Lanai” or “Pineapple” and is scheduled
for release in late 2023, possibly during Qualcomm’s annual Summit in
Hawaii. Based on Qualcomm’s past releases, it is likely that a Snapdragon 8+
Gen 2 SoC will also be launched as a mid-year update, with improvements in
thermal performance and power efficiency. It is uncertain whether the Gen 3
SoC will be available on phones in 2023 or if it will be delayed until
2024.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – SM8650, codename Lanai or Pineapple – is the next gen Qualcomm flagship chip, slated for launch in late 2023.
— Kuba Wojciechowski :3 (@Za_Raczke) March 23, 2023
According to a thread on Twitter by Kuba Wojciechowski (@Za_Raczke), the
next-generation chip will be designated the model number SM8650 and will be
codenamed either Lanai or Pineapple. The tweet explains that it will have a
new CPU configuration with a 2+3+2+1 arrangement.
This includes two ARM Hayes (A5XX) “Silver” cores, three ARM Hunter (A7XX)
“Gold” cores, two ARM Hunter (A7XX) “Titanium” cores, and one ARM Hunter ELP
(Xn) “Gold” core. The “Titanium” cluster will be Qualcomm’s first, and it
remains unclear how it will differ from the “Gold” cluster. Wojciechowski
suggests that this new cluster could have more cache or be clocked at a
higher speed.
According to the tweet, the ARM Hunter and Hunter (ELP) are newly developed CPU cores that have not been officially announced. This new cluster configuration differs significantly from the current 1+4+3 layout and appears to contradict earlier leaks that suggested the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 would have a 1+5+2 configuration.
In addition, Wojciechowski asserts that Qualcomm’s code indicates that the SoC will exclusively support 64-bit computing. The upcoming chip is expected to feature the Adreno 750 GPU, which currently has a maximum clock speed of 770MHz, although this may be subject to change by the time of the SoC’s announcement. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is also anticipated to run on version 6.1 of the Linux kernel, paired with Android 14.