The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is Qualcomm's most powerful mobile processor to date, unveiled at the Qualcomm Summit 2022. Built on a 4nm process node, it is set to power a wave of flagship smartphones including the Vivo X90 Series, Oppo Find X6 Series, iQOO 11 Series, OnePlus 11 Series, and Samsung Galaxy S23 Series.
What Makes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Different
Qualcomm has made sweeping upgrades over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and 8+ Gen 1. The most notable change is the new Kyro CPU architecture, which now uses a 1+4+3 core arrangement — one prime core, four gold cores, and three efficiency cores — compared to the previous 1+3+4 layout. The single-core peak clock speed reaches 3.2GHz, and Qualcomm claims a 35% CPU performance improvement over Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Connectivity gets a boost too, with the integrated Snapdragon X70 5G modem included in the chip.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 GPU and Display Capabilities
The chip ships with the new Adreno 740 GPU, which is 25% faster than the previous generation while consuming 40% less energy. For the first time on a Snapdragon mobile chip, Qualcomm has introduced hardware-accelerated ray tracing, delivering lifelike lighting and reflections during gaming. The GPU also supports Unreal Engine 5 and the Metahuman Framework, and its improved thermal design sustains performance longer during extended gaming sessions.
On the display side, the processor supports:
- QHD+ resolution at up to 144Hz refresh rate
- 4K resolution at 60Hz
- 10-bit color depth
- Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+
Camera: 200MP Support and Cognitive ISP
Like the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 before it, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 supports cameras up to 200MP. The bigger story is the new Cognitive ISP, which uses AI-driven semantic segmentation to automatically enhance photos and videos in real time. The neural network detects faces, skin tones, hair, clothing, and facial features and optimises them on the fly without any manual input.
The Spectra ISP is also onboard, enabling simultaneous 36MP captures from all three cameras at once. Video recording reaches 8K HDR at 60FPS, a first for a Snapdragon mobile SoC. The Bokeh Engine has also been refined over the previous generation for more natural background blur.
Key Specifications at a Glance
| Specification | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| Process Node | 4nm |
| CPU Architecture | Kyro (1+4+3), up to 3.2GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
| 5G Modem | Snapdragon X70 |
| Max Display | QHD+ at 144Hz / 4K at 60Hz |
| Max Camera | 200MP; 8K HDR video at 60FPS |
| Ray Tracing | Yes (hardware-accelerated) |
| CPU Performance Gain | Up to 35% over Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| GPU Efficiency Gain | 40% lower power vs. previous gen |
Which Phones Will Feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Qualcomm confirmed at its 2022 Summit that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will appear in flagship devices from several major manufacturers. Confirmed names include the Vivo X90 Series, Oppo Find X6 Series, iQOO 11 Series, OnePlus 11 Series, and Samsung Galaxy S23 Series. For more coverage of chips powering the latest flagship handsets, explore our brand section.
