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Snapdragon SoC guide: All of Qualcomm's smartphone processors explained

From entry-level to cutting-edge, we break down all the major Snapdragon processors.
By

Published onNovember 11, 2024

Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip in hand
Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors are among the most ubiquitous SoCs in the Android smartphone space. Samsung uses Snapdragon for its Galaxy S line in various markets, but these chips also power the vast majority of flagship Android phones on the market. There’s a good chance that you’re reading this on a device using a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor right now.

Snapdragon chips aren’t just found in expensive flagship smartphones though. There’s a whole portfolio of processors built for handsets at various price points. Performance and features differ a fair bit between these models, so let’s break down how the company’s latest SoCs compare and what capabilities you should expect.

Snapdragon 8 series — Premium tier

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 dummy chip.
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

Looking for the very best Qualcomm smartphone processor family? That will be the Snapdragon 8 range. The latest and greatest flagship chip is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, launched in October 2024. It powers loads of next-generation high-end Android phones, including the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 series. It’s also expected to power the Galaxy S25 series.

For the first time since 2016, the Snapdragon 8 series offers a custom CPU, with the 8 Elite using in-house Oryon CPU cores. This octa-core CPU consists of two prime cores clocked at a screaming 4.32GHz and six “performance” cores clocked at 3.53GHz. Qualcomm has abandoned little cores for the first time, aping MediaTek and Apple’s chips. Either way, the chip company claims a massive 45% performance boost over the previous flagship processor while saying it’s up to 44% more efficient.

Other Snapdragon 8 Elite features include a 3nm manufacturing process, a redesigned Adreno 830 GPU that’s a claimed 40% faster and 40% more efficient, and AI silicon that’s apparently 45%. Qualcomm says the new chip also offers “unlimited” object/subject detection layers for videos and photos and a maximum of 320MP single-camera snapshot support.

Snapdragon 8 EliteSnapdragon 8 Gen 3Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
CPU Config
Snapdragon 8 Elite
2x 4.32GHz (Oryon)
6x 3.53GHz (Oryon)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
1x 3.3GHz (Cortex-X4)
3x 3.2GHz (Cortex-A720)
2x 3GHz (Cortex-A720)
2x 2.3GHz (Cortex-A520 Refresh)
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
1x 3.19GHz (Cortex-X4)
4x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A720)
3x 2.0GHz (Cortex-A520)
GPU
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Adreno
(ray tracing support)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Adreno
(ray tracing support)
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Adreno
(ray tracing support)
DSP
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Hexagon
(fused scalar, tensor, and vector)
Mixed precision INT8/INT16
INT4 support
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Hexagon
(fused scalar, tensor, and vector)
Mixed precision INT8/INT16
INT4 support
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Hexagon
(fused scalar, tensor, and vector)
Mixed precision INT8/INT16
INT4 support
RAM support
Snapdragon 8 Elite
LPDDR5X
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
LPDDR5X
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
LPDDR5X
Camera support
Snapdragon 8 Elite
• 320MP single shot
• 108MP single with zero shutter lag
• 48MP triple camera with zero shutter lag
• Hybrid AF
• 10-bit HEIF image capture
• HDR video
• Dolby HDR photo
• Massive Multi-frame noise reduction with AI
• Enhanced AI video segmentation
• Video super resolution
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 200MP single shot
• 108MP single with zero shutter lag
• 64MP+36MP with zero shutter lag
• Triple 36MP with zero shutter lag
• Hybrid AF
• 10-bit HEIF image capture
• HDR video
• Dolby HDR photo
• Multi-frame noise reduction
• Real-time semantic segmentation for photos and videos (up to 12 layers)
• Video super resolution
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• 200MP single shot
• 108MP single with zero shutter lag
• 64MP+36MP with zero shutter lag
• Triple 36MP with zero shutter lag
• Hybrid AF
• 10-bit HEIF image capture
• HDR video
• Multi-frame noise reduction
• Real-time semantic segmentation for photos and videos (up to 12 layers)
• Video super resolution
Video capture
Snapdragon 8 Elite
8K @ 30fps (HDR)
4K UHD @ 120fps
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
8K @ 30fps (HDR)
4K UHD @ 120fps
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
4K UHD @ 60fps
4K UHD @ 60fps (HDR)
1080p @ 240fps
Charging
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Quick Charge 5
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Quick Charge 5
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Quick Charge 5
4G/5G Modem
Snapdragon 8 Elite
X80 LTE/5G (integrated)
10,000Mbps down
3,500Mbps up
NB-NTN (satellite) support
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
X75 LTE/5G (integrated)
10,000Mbps down
3,500Mbps up
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
X70 LTE/5G (integrated)
5,000Mbps down
3,500Mbps up
Other networking
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Bluetooth 6.0
Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Bluetooth 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Bluetooth 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n
Process
Snapdragon 8 Elite
TSMC 3nm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
TSMC 4nm (N4P)
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
TSMC 4nm

The previous flagship chip was the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was announced in October 2023. It powers phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus 12, and the Xiaomi 14 series. This is still a very powerful chip, offering a beefy CPU (in a 1+5+2 layout), generative AI capabilities (including text-to-image generation in under a second), faster graphics hardware, night mode video support, and video object eraser capabilities.

Qualcomm also launched the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in March 2024. This is meant to power affordable flagship smartphones rather than full-blown high-end phones like the 8 Gen 3 and 8 Elite. It features a powerful CPU (one Cortex-X4, four Cortex-A720, and three Cortex-A520) and a tweaked version of the older but still powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 GPU. The chipset offers on-device generative AI support too, but Qualcomm acknowledged that AI performance was slower than the 8 Gen 3.  The SoC also lacks 8K and super-slow motion video support as seen on the 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3.

The Galaxy S24 series launched with the so-called Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset in some models. It offers slightly higher CPU clock speeds compared to the vanilla chip. That may translate to negligibly better performance in some demanding tasks. We’re expecting a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip too if history is anything to go on.

Snapdragon 7 series — Bridging the gap

Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 in hand

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 series isn’t quite as straightforward as its flagship 8 series. This is due to the sheer number of them, as well as the older, lower-end chips crossing into Snapdragon 6 territory. The Snapdragon 7 series was originally conceived as an upper mid-range family of processors, but the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 blends high-end and mid-range features like few other processors.

The Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 was announced in March 2024 and brings a 4nm design and a powerful, flagship-grade CPU. Qualcomm didn’t specify the GPU details bar saying it was 45% faster than the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2. Otherwise, the 7 Plus Gen 3 also brings features like support for on-device generative AI features (e.g. Gemini Nano, image generation), 4K/60fps HDR video, and Wi-Fi 7. Just don’t expect AV1 support, 8K video recording, and the greatest modem.

The Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 brings a flagship-grade CPU and generative AI support, but dials back the GPU, camera, and multimedia capabilities.

Prior to the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3, we had the Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2. This was 2023’s best mid-range chip by Qualcomm, and it looked more like a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor than anything else. You’ve got the same TSMC 4nm design, a very similar CPU (one Cortex-X2, three Cortex-A710, four Cortex-A510), and what seems like a similarly powerful ISP. We do see some compromises though, such as a less impressive but still powerful GPU, the mid-tier Snapdragon X62 modem, and missing features like 8K recording. Unfortunately, only one phone launched with this chipset.

Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2Snapdragon 7 Gen 3Snapdragon 7s Gen 3Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
CPU
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
1x Cortex-X4
4x Cortex-A720
3x Cortex-A520
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
1x Cortex-X2
3x Cortex-A710
4x Cortex-A510
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
1x Cortex-A715
3x Cortex-A715
4x Cortex-A510
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
4x Cortex-A720
4x Cortex-A520
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
4x Cortex-A78
4x Cortex-A55
GPU
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
Adreno
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
Adreno
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
Adreno
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
Adreno
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
Adreno
DSP
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
Hexagon
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
Hexagon
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
Hexagon
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
Hexagon
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
Hexagon
Modem
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
Snapdragon X63 5G/LTE
5G - 5Gbps down, 3.5Gbps up
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
Snapdragon X62 5G/LTE
5G - 4.4Gbps down, 1.6Gbps up
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
Snapdragon X63 5G/LTE
5G - 5Gbps down
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
Unnamed Snapdragon 5G/LTE
5G - 2.9Gbps down
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
Snapdragon X62 5G/LTE
5G - 2.9Gbps down
Cameras
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
108MP single
64MP+36MP dual
36MP+36MP+36MP triple
200MP snapshot
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
108MP single
64MP+36MP dual
32MP+32MP+32MP triple
200MP snapshot
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
64MP single
32MP+21MP dual
21MP+21MP+21MP triple
200MP snapshot
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
64MP single
32MP+21MP dual
21MP+21MP+21MP triple
200MP snapshot
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
48MP single
32MP+16MP dual
16MP+16MP+16MP triple
200MP snapshot
Quick Charge
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
5
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
5
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
5
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
4+
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
4+
Bluetooth
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
5.4
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
5.3
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
5.4
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
5.4
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
5.2
Process
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3
4nm
Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2
4nm
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
4nm
Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
4nm
Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
4nm

Going down a rung we have the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, announced in September 2024. This is a follow-up to the popular but middling Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip seen in phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, Redmi Note 13 Pro, and POCO X6. Thankfully, the new chip brings a powerful CPU that’s apparently up to 20% faster, consisting of four Cortex-A720 cores and four power-sipping Cortex-A520 cores. It also offers a 40% faster GPU, 30% better AI performance, and 12% better power savings. Unfortunately, you do miss out on 4K/60fps support, AV1 support, and a few other premium extras, but it’s a healthy upgrade anyway.

The two least capable recent Snapdragon 7 series chips are the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and 7s Gen 2, both being announced in late 2023. The former chip brings a good CPU for a mid-range chip (4x Cortex-A715 and 4x Cortex-A510), while the latter offers an aging CPU setup (4x Cortex-A78, 4x Cortex-A55) that should still suffice for gaming and other tasks. But don’t expect 4K/60fps support, Ultra HDR, generative AI smarts, or cutting-edge connectivity options.

Snapdragon 6 series — Value for money

Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
Supplied by Qualcomm

Where the Snapdragon 7 series tries to bridge the gap between mid-range and flagship, the Snapdragon 6 series is mostly focused on the ~$300 and under segment. And the most notable processor in this family is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3.

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is an overclocked version of 2022’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor. Expect an aging but relatively powerful 2.4GHz CPU (4x Cortex-A78, 4x Cortex-A55), an Adreno 710 GPU, and the same connectivity standards (e.g. Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E). Qualcomm says the 6 Gen 3 offers a 10% CPU performance boost and a 30% better GPU over the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1.

For what it’s worth, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 has a claimed 40% CPU and 35% GPU boost over the stalwart Snapdragon 695. The 6 Gen 1 and 6 Gen 3 also feature a 4nm design, 200MP snapshot support, and 4K video capture. The latter feature was a rarity in this price segment until very recently.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
4x Cortex-A78 @ 2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
4x Cortex-A78 @ 2.2GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
2x Cortex-A78 @ 2.3GHz + 6x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
4x Cortex-A73 @ 2.2GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.8GHz
GPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
Adreno 710
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
Adreno 710
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
Adreno
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
Adreno 610
RAM
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
LPDDR5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
LPDDR5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
LPDDR4X
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
LPDDR4X
DSP
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
Hexagon
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
Hexagon
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
Hexagon
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
UFS 2.2
Modem
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
Snapdragon X62 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
Snapdragon X62 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
Snapdragon X51 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
Snapdragon X51 5G
Cameras
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
200MP photo capture;
48MP single camera with ZSL;
32MP + 16MP dual camera with ZSL;
16MP triple camera with ZSL
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
200MP photo capture;
48MP single camera with ZSL;
25MP + 16MP dual camera with ZSL;
13MP triple camera with ZSL
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
108MP photo capture;
32MP single camera with ZSL;
25MP + 13MP dual camera with ZSL;
13MP triple camera with ZSL
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
108MP photo capture;
32MP single camera with ZSL;
25MP + 13MP dual camera with ZSL;
13MP triple camera with ZSL
Quick Charge
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
4+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
4+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
4+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
3
Bluetooth
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
5.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
5.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
5.2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
5.1
Process
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
4nm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
4nm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
6nm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
11nm
Video recording
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
4K@30fps
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
4K@30fps
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
1080p@60fps
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1
1080p@60fps

Qualcomm also offers the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, which is basically a rebranded version of the old Snapdragon 695 chip. Expect a middling octa-core CPU (2x Cortex-A78 and 6x Cortex-A55), an ancient Adreno 610 GPU, and Wi-Fi 5 instead of Wi-Fi 6 or higher. You also have to settle for 1080p/60fps video capture instead of 4K.

Finally, another recent Snapdragon 6 series entry is the Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1. But this is just a slightly improved version of the ancient Snapdragon 662 from 2020. Expect the same super-old CPU (4x Cortex-A73, 4x-Cortex-A53) with a 100MHz clock speed boost, an “enhanced” GPU, an old X11 LTE modem, and an obsolete 11nm manufacturing process. Don’t expect 4K video recording, slow-motion video support, or anything more than 48MP single-camera support.

Notable Snapdragon 6 series phones

Snapdragon 4 series — Entry-level

Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 reference design image
Supplied by Qualcomm

Now we come to the least capable Snapdragon series (aside from the shuttered/dormant Snapdragon 200 family), designed for cheap phones. But there’s good news here, as 2022’s Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 actually looks decent for a low-end chipset.

The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 was announced in mid-2022 and offers a 6nm design, a solid but unspectacular CPU (2x Cortex-A78, 6x Cortex-A55), and a 10% faster GPU than the earlier Snapdragon 480. Otherwise, this SoC has quite a few things in common with the Snapdragon 695. We’ve got the same X51 5G modem, similar camera capabilities (no 4K recording here), 120Hz support at FHD+ display resolution, and Wi-Fi 5.

Snapdragon 4 Gen 1Snapdragon 4 Gen 2Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
CPU
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
2x Cortex-A78
6x Cortex-A55
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
2x Cortex-A78
6x Cortex-A55
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
2x Cortex-A78
6x Cortex-A55
GPU
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
Adreno
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
Adreno
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
Adreno
DSP
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
Hexagon
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
Hexagon
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
Hexagon
Modem
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
Snapdragon X51 5G
2.5Gbps down,
0.9Gbps up
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
Snapdragon X61 5G
2.5Gbps down,
0.9Gbps up
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
Snapdragon X61 5G
1Gbps down
Cameras
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
32MP single
25MP+13MP dual
13MP+13MP+13MP triple
108MP snapshot

Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
32MP single
16MP+16MP dual
108MP snapshot
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
25MP single or 13MP+13MP dual
84MP snapshot

Quick Charge
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
4+
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
4+
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
4+
Bluetooth
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
5.2
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
5.1
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
5.1
Process
Snapdragon 4 Gen 1
6nm
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
4nm
Snapdragon 4s Gen 2
4nm

Otherwise, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 was announced in June 2023. It delivers a few upgrades over the Gen 1 chip like a 4nm design for greater efficiency, a more capable X61 5G modem, and a slightly faster CPU clock speed. Unfortunately, there are also a couple of downgrades compared to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, namely the somewhat inferior GPU and Bluetooth 5.1 instead of 5.2. No, there’s no 4K recording support here, either.

The latest Snapdragon 4 series processor is the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2, and it’s also the least capable of all recent releases in this lineup. The chip was announced in July 2024 and promises to bring gigabit 5G speeds to the $100 segment. This achievement is due to the inclusion of a Snapdragon X61 modem. Other noteworthy specs include a ho-hum CPU (2x Cortex-A78, 6x Cortex-A55), Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 5 connectivity standards, and a 4nm manufacturing process for improved efficiency. But you should expect a few downgrades from the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and 2, such as a lower CPU clock speed, lower refresh rate support, and reduced camera resolution (84MP versus 108MP).

There’s clearly a theme with all three chips here. You’re getting small, efficient processors that can handle the basics just fine and they’ll support 5G without a problem. Just don’t expect to see Wi-Fi 6 or newer, advanced camera capabilities, and generative AI features.

Notable Snapdragon 4 series phones


That’s all for our Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC guide! Let us know your thoughts on the silicon giant’s portfolio in the comments. You can also check out our article charting the history of the Snapdragon 8 family.

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