Qualcomm just announced some new updates to its processor line-up that target a couple of key market segments. The freshly minted Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 targets top-tier, premium Android devices, while the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 focuses on more mainstream, gaming-centric devices.
The existing Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 already powers virtually all of the current-generation, flagship Android devices in the U.S. and other regions around the globe. The simple “+” addendum to its branding may suggest that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is nothing more than a speed-bump, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, the two chips share the same architecture and feature set, but the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is manufactured on a different chip manufacturing process node, that’s optimized for both higher speeds and increased power efficiency.