Qualcomm has introduced a new variant of its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, featuring a 7-core CPU cluster. This version is a departure from the original 8-core flagship announced in October and is likely intended to provide manufacturers with a more cost-effective option for high-end smartphones.
Snapdragon 8 Elite: A Less Powerful Variant
The initial Snapdragon 8 Elite, launched last year, featured two performance cores running at 4.32GHz and six efficiency cores at 3.53GHz. The newly revealed variant, identified as 'SM8750-3-AB', has one less core, reducing the total core count to seven. Despite this change, the clock speeds of the performance and efficiency cores remain the same, indicating a focus on cost-saving rather than performance reduction in specific tasks.
Chip-Binning Strategy
The emergence of a 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite suggests that Qualcomm is employing a strategy called "chip-binning," similar to Apple's approach with the A17 Pro. Chip-binning involves repurposing chips that do not meet the standards of the flagship version, allowing manufacturers to produce less powerful variants instead of discarding them. This approach enables Qualcomm's partners to develop more affordable flagship devices, albeit with a slight reduction in multi-core performance.
Implications for Consumers
This development means consumers need to be more vigilant when purchasing smartphones. A lower-priced device featuring a Snapdragon 8 Elite may have the 7-core version, leading to potentially lower multi-core performance compared to devices with the original 8-core chip. It's advisable to carefully review specifications to ensure you get the performance you expect.
Source: Qualcomm Pdf
