Samsung’s bespoke Snapdragon chipset may be coming to other phones soon
The Galaxy S23 line could be losing its Snapdragon exclusivity
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Samsungmade a big song and dance about thebespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets powering its Galaxy S23 phones, but new rumors suggest a similarly overclocked version of Qualcomm’s latest processor could be coming to other premium handsets very soon.
That prediction comes from Weibo leakerDigital Chat Station(viaAndroid Authority), who claims that Samsung’s “high-frequency version” of theSnapdragon 8 Gen 2will be made available to “domestic” (i.e. Chinese) smartphone brands imminently.
The leaker makes no mention of specific brands, but the likes of ASUS, OnePlus, Redmagic and Xiaomi could all utilize this upgraded processor in whatever as-yet-unreleased premium handsets they have in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond.
If you’re into your number-crunching, Qualcomm’s ‘Made for Samsung’ Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset delivers slightly higher peak CPU and GPU clock speeds than its standard counterpart (3.36GHz versus 3.2GHz, and 719MHz versus 680MHz).
The real-world performance differences between the two processors, however, are negligible. In ourSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review, we said “the S23 Ultra gains a slight edge over theOnePlus 11… but the Ultra’s lead is so slight that you’re unlikely to feel any real-world benefit." That “For Galaxy” Snapdragon seems “far more beneficial for Samsung Galaxy S23 series marketing campaign” than it is for the user.
In other words, while Qualcomm’s bespoke chipset doestechnicallyoffer superior performance, it’s nigh-on impossible to perceive any tangible speed differences between the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-equipped phones like the OnePlus 11 andHonor Magic 5 Pro.
The upshot is that anyone hell-bent on owning the fastest and most powerful Snapdragon chipset around may have more options to choose from in a few months’ time.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
As for the chipset that could replace the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, we’re expecting Qualcomm to unveil theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which takes place in November.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
How to lock apps on a Google Pixel phone
I’m a die-hard Apple fan, but even I’ll admit that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the best-looking phone of the year
New fanless cooling technology enhances energy efficiency for AI workloads by achieving a 90% reduction in cooling power consumption
