Qualcomm has announced the launch of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a new smartphone SoC designed for the mid-range market. Positioned as the entry-level tier within the Snapdragon 7 family, the 7s series aims to offer a balance of performance and efficiency for smartphones in North America.
The new Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 features an upgraded design, incorporating Arm’s latest Armv9 CPU cores. This includes a 1+3+4 configuration, with Cortex-A720 cores for both prime and efficiency cores. The prime core can reach speeds of up to 2.5GHz, while the efficiency cores based on the A520 design can boost up to 1.8GHz.
Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 boasts a 20% improvement in CPU performance, driven by enhancements in IPC and the faster prime core. In terms of graphics, Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU delivers a 40% increase in performance over the previous generation.
The Hexagon NPU block on the SoC incorporates the latest AI-focused IP, offering a 30% improvement in AI performance. The chip also includes updated camera hardware, supporting resolutions up to 64MPix for still images and 4K HDR video capture.
On the connectivity front, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 integrates Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 5G modem, supporting both Sub-6 and mmWave bands with speeds of up to 2.9Gbps. The chip is built on TSMC’s N4P process, providing a 12% improvement in power efficiency compared to its predecessor.
Xiaomi will be the launch partner for the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, with other manufacturers like Realme, Sharp, and Samsung expected to follow suit. The chip is set to offer a compelling balance of performance and features for mid-range smartphones in the market.
