Leaked Qualcomm Documents Reveal 4nm and 3nm Variants of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Next month, Qualcomm is set to launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, produced by TSMC using the 4nm process node. This new system-on-chip (SoC) will replace the high-performance Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in most flagship Android devices. However, recently leaked documents, allegedly originating from Qualcomm, have hinted at a surprising development: a second variant of the chipset.

According to these documents, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC will include the expected CPU cores: the Cortex-X4 prime core, the Cortex-A720 performance core, and the Cortex-A520 efficiency core. What makes these documents intriguing is the mention of a second variant. The primary Snapdragon 8 Gen3 AP will be manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm process node. However, the second variant will utilize TSMC’s N3E (enhanced) 3nm node. Currently, only two phones—the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max—feature 3nm chipsets (the A17 Pro).

Leaked Qualcomm Documents Reveal 4nm and 3nm Variants of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

A lower process node signifies smaller features and transistors within the chip. Smaller transistors allow for increased power and energy efficiency by accommodating more of them in the same chip space. Consequently, the 3nm variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC will contain more transistors than its 4nm counterpart.

In 2022, Qualcomm made the transition from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, produced on Samsung’s 4nm process node, to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which TSMC manufactured using its 4nm node. This proved to be a wise decision. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 boasted a 30% improvement in efficiency and avoided overheating issues. Additionally, Samsung Foundry reported a yield of just 35% with its 4nm node used for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, compared to TSMC’s impressive 70% yield at the same node.

Unlike the previous year, when the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 replaced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The leaked documents suggest that Qualcomm will introduce both variants of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 simultaneously. The company will unveil these on October 24th at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii.

To clarify, both variants of the chipset will share the same configuration. The sole distinction between the two will be the process node used in their construction. This information does not seem to include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which will be an overclocked version of the 4nm chip.