Qualcomm's new chip set off a shock in the industry
In the rapid development of the technology industry, chips undoubtedly play a vital role. As the world's leading chip manufacturer, Qualcomm has recently launched a series of eye-catching new products, which have aroused widespread attention and heated discussions inside and outside the industry.
Qualcomm's latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, will first be unveiled on high-end Android phones early next year. The chip, which is manufactured on a 4nm process, not only has a significant improvement in computing performance and energy efficiency, but also is more exciting because of its leap forward in artificial intelligence (AI) processing power. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can complete AI tasks such as image generation at extremely fast speeds, taking the user experience to a whole new level.
Qualcomm has also targeted the PC and laptop markets, releasing the X Elite chip based on the Arm architecture. The chip has been redesigned to efficiently handle AI tasks such as email summarization, text editing, and image generation. Qualcomm even claims that the X Elite chip has outperformed Apple's M2 Max and Intel's Core i9 processor in some AI scenarios.
Qualcomm's move undoubtedly showed a ruthless move to industry competitors, directly challenging the dominance of Apple and Intel in the field of personal computer chips. Industry insiders believe that Qualcomm is expected to occupy a place in the AI era by virtue of its advantages accumulated in the field of mobile device chips for many years.
In addition to new products for the high-end market, Qualcomm is also targeting the low-end chip market. Its new generation of 7 series chips, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen3, has greatly improved gaming performance and energy efficiency, and is considered to be the "little Snapdragon 8G3". This gives Qualcomm a strong lineup at different price points.
The new model sparked a "backstab" controversy
The low prices of some new models released by Qualcomm's new generation of chips have also sparked heated discussions about "backstabbing" high-end models. Taking the Xiaomi 14 series as an example, compared with the previous generation Xiaomi 13, the configuration parameters are basically the same, but the price has been significantly reduced. This is considered to be a "backstab" to the sales of the Xiaomi 13 to a certain extent.
Realme GT5 Pro, a subsidiary of Realme Technology, directly wrote the word "backstab" in the title of the promotional video. This mobile phone is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip, and its performance even exceeds that of Snapdragon 8Gen3, but the price only starts at 4999 yuan, which has a direct impact on Qualcomm's flagship model.
In addition to the manufacturer's own new products, Qualcomm's own Snapdragon 8s Gen3 is also considered to be a "backstab" to some extent OnePlus 12 and other models. The configuration of the Snapdragon 8s Gen3 is close to that of the Snapdragon 8 Gen3, but it is positioned in the mid-to-high-end market and the price is more affordable.
The emergence of this "backstab" phenomenon reflects the current fierce competition pattern in the mobile phone industry. On the one hand, consumer demand for performance and cost-effectiveness is increasing, and on the other hand, major manufacturers are sparing no effort to launch attractive new products to win the hearts and minds of users.
It is undeniable that for consumers, it is undoubtedly a big plus to be able to buy a high-performance mobile phone at a lower price. However, from the manufacturer's point of view, the low price strategy of the new model may have a certain impact on the profit margin. How to strike a balance between performance, price and profit will be a problem that major mobile phone manufacturers need to think about.
The rise of 7 series chips Qualcomm attacked across the board
In the face of fierce competition in the low-end market, Qualcomm has not stopped. Instead, it launched a new generation of 7 series chips in an attempt to regain the initiative in this price segment.
The performance of the next-generation Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 chip is impressive. According to Qualcomm, its CPU and GPU performance have increased by 13% and 25%, respectively, and gaming performance has also been greatly improved. The Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 also has significant improvements in energy efficiency, with power consumption reduced by about 20% compared to the previous generation.
This means that a mid-range phone powered by Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 will not only provide a smooth experience when running large games and intensive tasks such as video editing, but will also have significantly longer flight times for daily use. Some people believe that the comprehensive strength of the Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 is close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen3, which is nicknamed the "little Snapdragon 8G3".
Qualcomm's emphasis on the 7 series chips reflects its determination in the low-end market. In the past, Qualcomm has always focused on flagship models, while the low-end market has been firmly controlled by rivals such as MediaTek. But with the advent of the 5G era, the importance of the low-end mobile phone market is increasing day by day. Qualcomm is clearly reluctant to lag behind in this critical area.
By continuously strengthening the strength of the 7 series chips, Qualcomm is striving to build a full lineup covering the high, medium and low end. In this way, no matter whether the consumer budget is 2,000 yuan or 8,000 yuan, they can buy a high-quality mobile phone powered by Qualcomm chips.