Apple’s New M4 Chip Forces Qualcomm to Redesign Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

Apple’s M4 processor which powers the recentlylaunched iPad Proshows record-breaking single-core scores in the benchmark. This could have prompted Qualcomm, to rethink and redesign their upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 application processor (AP). Going by the rumors, the next flagship processor willsee anincrease in clock speedgoing from 4GHz to 4.26GHz.

This news comes from an X post by jasonwill101 who says the redesign could be finalized by June. This time, Qualcomm willditch the ARM Cortex CPU coreswith their own Phoenix cores instead. The Snapdragon8 Gen 4‘s configuration might include 2 large Phoenix CPU cores and 6 medium Phoenix CPU cores. However, we may not see any small low-powered cores.Qualcomm’s Nuvia is making a comeback, and there might be a redesign finalized in June, with a target frequency of 4.26GHz, aiming at the Apple A18 Chip.#qualcomm— jasonwill (@jasonwill101)May 11, 2024

Qualcomm’s Nuvia is making a comeback, and there might be a redesign finalized in June, with a target frequency of 4.26GHz, aiming at the Apple A18 Chip.#qualcomm— jasonwill (@jasonwill101)May 11, 2024

The design of the 8 Gen 4 AP will be based on theSnapdragon X Elite processorbuilt for laptops. It won’t feature a Scalable Matrix Extension (SME) as the X Elite does not work with the ARMv9 instruction set. This means it won’t be able to efficiently manage complex tasks like Apple’s M4 processor, which also helped in higher benchmark results.

The increase in clock speed to 4.26 GHz will also compensate for the decrease in performance due to the lack of SME. It will bemanufactured by TSMCusing its second-generation (N3E) 3nm process node.Apple’s M4 chipsetwas also built on the same node. Apple may use it for the A18 and A18 Pro smartphone processors, set to debut with the iPhone 16 series.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s redesign will make it one of the best-performing processors in the market, but the battery life could take a hit. It is also possible that thephones may exhibit heating issues,so the phone manufacturers have to plan for it accordingly. The processor will come out in October, and we might see the first phones powered by it somewhere around December this year or January 2025.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Do let us know in the comments below.

Anshuman Jain

As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.

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