Qualcomm unveils the Snapdragon 8 Elite, integrating custom "Oryon" technology to enhance AI capabilities in mobile devices. This innovation aims to power generative AI tasks, with support from major brands like Samsung, Asus, and Xiaomi. Enhanced developer tools will complement Android OS features, offering a robust platform for AI-driven applications.
Qualcomm, the world's leading mobile phone chip manufacturer, announced a significant upgrade to its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, incorporating AI-focused technology initially developed for its laptop chips. This move, unveiled October 21st, aims to enhance mobile device capabilities for generative AI tasks.
In 2021, Qualcomm hired a team of former Apple engineers to develop laptop chips, which launched this year and power AI features in Microsoft Windows. The resulting "Oryon" technology, a custom computing platform, is now integrated into Qualcomm's mobile phone chips for the first time.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite has been redesigned to optimize performance for AI-intensive tasks like image and text generation. Qualcomm is providing software developers with specialized tools, exceeding the capabilities of Android's existing AI offerings, to fully leverage these enhancements.
Chris Patrick, Qualcomm's senior vice president and general manager for mobile handsets, highlighted Qualcomm's independent AI technology, stating that while Google is progressing rapidly, Qualcomm offers its own developer-focused solutions.
Several major manufacturers, including Samsung Electronics, Asustek Computer, and Xiaomi, have already committed to using the new chip in their upcoming devices.
