In a surprising move, Qualcomm quietly introduced the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 over the weekend, marking a significant upgrade in the company’s mid-range chipset lineup. The new Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is designed to succeed the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, skipping the second generation entirely. This powerful 4nm chipset offers enhanced AI capabilities and improved performance for mid-range smartphones, promising better activity tracking and noise cancellation during calls.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 shares many similarities with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, although there are a few notable downgrades in its CPU and display capabilities. For example, while both chips feature the same octa-core architecture, with four 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 cores and four 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 offers slightly faster efficiency cores at 1.95 GHz.
Key Features of Snapdragon 6 Gen 3:
- CPU: 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55
- GPU: Adreno 710
- RAM: Up to 3200 MHz LPDDR5 support
- Display: Full HD+ at 120Hz refresh rate
- Camera: Supports up to 200 MP with 48 MP Zero Shutter Lag
- Video: 4K recording at 30 fps
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
- Charging: QuickCharge 4+
- Process: 4nm architecture
Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, the new Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 provides a noticeable boost in AI performance, making it ideal for everyday smartphone tasks like voice recognition, camera enhancements, and real-time noise cancellation during calls. Qualcomm has also upgraded the chip’s camera processing power, allowing it to handle up to 200 MP photo capture and dual sensor setups like 32 MP and 16 MP cameras for more versatile smartphone photography.
Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 vs. Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 brings significant upgrades over the previous Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. For instance, while both chips support Full HD+ displays at 120Hz, the new chipset comes with improved CPU cores, ensuring faster and smoother performance. It also supports newer LPDDR5 RAM, enhancing overall memory bandwidth and efficiency.
How Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Stands Against Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 and the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 share a lot of common ground, especially in their octa-core CPU setup. However, the 6 Gen 3 slightly lags in terms of display capabilities, supporting only 120Hz refresh rates, whereas the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 can handle up to 144Hz. That said, both chips come equipped with the Adreno 710 GPU and offer similar camera and video capabilities, making them competitive in the mid-range market.
While Qualcomm has yet to issue an official press release regarding the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, the chip is expected to make its way into a variety of mid-range smartphones in the coming months. With its enhanced AI performance, improved camera capabilities, and solid performance upgrades, this new chipset is set to bring more power to mid-tier smartphones, catering to users who demand high performance without the flagship price tag.
