Qualcomm has quietly introduced a new version of its Snapdragon 8 Elite, featuring a 7-core configuration. Unlike the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which boasted a 3.3GHz max boost clock, the new model swaps a prime core for a more efficient design without changing the clock speed.
This moves highlights Qualcomm’s shift in focus from just speed to balancing performance and power efficiency.
To clear up any confusion, this differs from the previously leaked Snapdragon 8s Elite, which reportedly carried the model number SM8735.
The new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, listed as SM8750-3-AB on Qualcomm’s website, features a 7-core setup and is built on a 3nm process. While its configuration is unique, it keeps the clock speed for the two prime cores at 4.32GHz, with the remaining five performance cores running at 3.53GHz. This design aims to balance power and performance efficiently.
According to GSMArena, it’s possible that these chips started as regular 8-core processors, but one of the cores didn’t meet performance standards. Rather than discarding the whole chip, Qualcomm decided to disable the underperforming core, leading to the creation of this 7-core variant.
The chip also comes with an Adreno GPU, though Qualcomm hasn’t shared details about its clock speed. On top of that, it supports LPDDR5X RAM, Quick Charge 5, and X80 LTE/5G with speeds up to 10Gbps. It also features Bluetooth 6.0 and supports either WiFi 7 or WiFi 6/6E.
We suspect Qualcomm plans to sell this chip to mobile makers looking to create more affordable versions of their flagship models.
