Qualcomm launches Snapdragon 888 Plus but what about its next flagship Snapdragon 895

Snapdragon 888 Revealed

Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon 888 Plus CPU, an enhanced version of the current Snapdragon 888 chip found in many high-end smartphones, and several phone manufacturers have already confirmed it would power future models.

Performance Enhanced  

The Snapdragon 888 Plus receives a power boost for a clock speed of just under 3.0GHz, up from 2.84GHz on the Snapdragon 888, as well as Qualcomm’s AI Engine’s 6th generation for a 20 percent rise in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) performance. It’s a gaming powerhouse, with all the same Snapdragon Elite Gaming capabilities as the Snapdragon 888, plus updatable drivers for the highest possible performance at all times, just like the Snapdragon 865 Plus, which was announced in 2020. Many other capabilities, like as the X60 5G modem and Wi-Fi 6E connection, are shared with the existing 888 platforms.

Companies using Snapdragon 888

Several firms have already stated that the CPU will be included in their products in the near future, and some have been surprise open about the devices we may expect.

The Snapdragon 888 Plus will be used by Asus in a future ROG Phone, which is designed specifically for gamers. The Snapdragon 865 Plus was used in the ROG Phone 3, but the ROG Phone 5 with the Snapdragon 888 was only revealed in March, implying a sequel is still a year away. However, it’s likely that Asus will release a special upgraded edition of the phone with the new processor inside before then, similar to the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate Edition.

Xiaomi and Vivo  Interested

Both Xiaomi and Vivo have claimed that the Snapdragon 888 Plus will be used in a future smartphone, although neither has said when that device will be released. The Snapdragon 888 is used by Xiaomi in their Mi 11 line of phones, and Vivo utilises it in the X60 Pro Plus. The Snapdragon 865 Plus chip was used by neither firm.

Samsung has not confirmed that the Snapdragon 888 Plus would be utilised, however the Snapdragon 865 Plus was previously used in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Lenovo and Red Magic have both used the 865 Plus in the past, so it’s probable they’ll manufacture gaming smartphones with the new processor.

The Snapdragon 865 Plus chip is expected to be released between July and September this year, so we won’t have to wait long to see the first smartphones powered by it.

What About Snapdragon 895?

According to a recent leak, the SoC will be known as the SM8450 and would have unique Kryo 780 cores as well as an integrated Snapdragon X65 5G modem, all of which will be manufactured on Samsung’s 4nm node. Qualcomm’s next-generation silicon is already being tested by Qualcomm’s partners, thus Lenovo could be one of them.

Qualcomm may introduce the Snapdragon 895 in December, and Lenovo and its leaders may take centre stage a few days later to announce the new flagship. Because the formal announcement is still a few months away, take this information with a grain of salt for the time being. Many firms, including Lenovo, may have to postpone their plans due to the ongoing chip shortage.