Qualcomm is gearing up for its next big launch event, where the world will know the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. Rather than adopting the usual Q4 schedule, the company is pushing the release to late September. This opens up many possibilities for the flagship market, as brands will release new flagships much earlier than usual. The event is set to happen in September 23 and will bring some surprises. The spotlight is on the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, a top-tier chip carrying the model number SM8850. However, that’s not the only new processor in the pipeline. As per rumors coming out of China, there is to another chip, the SM8845, which could also be revealed this year.
A New Flagship SoC Coming Along With the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2
This new chip isn’t the Snapdragon 8s Gen 5, since it’s aimed at a slightly higher segment. Also, it won’t be as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. The exact name hasn’t been confirmed yet, but some rumors suggest that Qualcomm might brand it as the Snapdragon 8 Plus. It’s a rather curious name, and there isn’t any confirmation at this point. We just know it exists, but its name for marketing is yet to be disclosed.
The SM8845 is said to deliver performance similar to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. Like that chip, it uses a CPU made entirely of high-performance cores built with Qualcomm’s custom architecture. However, it will come with a more modern process and will borrow some components from the 8 Elite 2. Overall, this should bring small improvements in efficiency and capability.
According to well-known leaker Digital Chat Station, this chip will be used by several major smartphone brands, including Oppo, OnePlus, and vivo. Devices featuring the SM8845 are expected to include very large batteries, possibly up to 8,000 mAh. With the use of Si-C (Silicon-Carbon) batteries, we know that this is perfectly possible. Also, a phone with a performance-focused processor won’t have many issues with a battery of such capacity.
This new chip seems to be designed for “flagship killer” phones that offer near-premium performance at lower prices. It may serve as a middle ground between the 8s series and the high-end Elite chips. Given how close its specs are to the original 8 Elite, it will be interesting to see if Qualcomm decides to phase out that older chip in favor of the SM8845. Curiously, this should be an option that could make some Snapdragon 7 series chips less interesting.
