Disappointed by the yields and quality of Samsung’s EUV engraving, the American Qualcomm would have accelerated the launch of the “Plus” version of its high-end mobile chip to switch to TSMC. And offer an updated version that is more energy efficient.
The “+” version of Qualcomm’s high-end mobile processor could be more than a small update this year. While Qualcomm has been offering a slightly refined version of its SoC in the middle/end of the year for a few years, the American would have advanced the launch schedule of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus to May for quality reasons.
After years at TSMC, Qualcomm trusted Samsung last year for the 4 nm EUV engraving of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, in addition to yields that would not satisfy Qualcomm (some rumors report 35% at Samsung and 70% at TSMC), the first tests also show that the chip heats up too much, and too quickly. Not all 4nm prints are created equal, and TSMC still seems to be the king in all areas.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus should therefore be less subject to rapid temperature rises and offer additional battery power thanks to more measured energy consumption. Which does not fail to raise the question of its integration into the terminals. In the past, the “plus” versions have often found themselves in somewhat less luxurious terminals – Realme X3 Superzoom . But it would seem fashionable here that the current flagships – Oppo Find X5 Pro, etc. – can also benefit from updates in order to be not only better equipped, but also more powerful and more sober.
Qualcomm should take advantage of the announcement of mid-range SoCs (Snapdragon 7xx?) in May to formalize the launch of this Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. According to some sources, some (non-European?) versions of the next Galaxy Fold 4 and Flip 4 could feature this new chip.
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