Qualcomm may release the 4th generation Snapdragon 8cx after Apple M3
Qualcomm may release the 4th generation Snapdragon 8cx after Apple M3
Qualcomm may release the 4th generation Snapdragon 8cx after Apple M3.
Qualcomm still hasn’t confirmed the release schedule of the 4th generation Snapdragon 8cx or after the release of the Apple M3.
The Snapdragon 8cx 4th Gen is promising (at least on paper), but it probably won’t arrive before the Apple M3, which would give the latter another leg up in the ARM notebook and desktop space.
The chipset maker remains “on schedule,” according to a statement, without specifying a proposed timeline.
A tweet from @Ravi_711 mentioned that Qualcomm plans to release the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 for commercial devices.
The chipset, code-named Hamoa, is “on track for commercial readiness,” but otherwise, no specific release date was mentioned.
We expect the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to be announced at an upcoming launch event, which is said to be in late October, but there wasn’t much progress around the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 at the launch event.
In @Ravi_711’s post, the discussion states that Nuvia will be sampled by the end of 2023, and the actual chipset is said to be available in late 2024 or early 2025.
It is also mentioned that the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 codename Hamoa encountered an unforeseen problem during development.
Given that the upcoming chip is said to be mass-produced using TSMC’s 4nm process, it should arrive shortly after the M2’s announcement.
Based on the above timeline, if Apple releases the M3 later this year along with several Macs featuring the SoC, Qualcomm will be at a disadvantage in the ARM notebook and desktop space.
On paper, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4’s specs are impressive: it features a 12-core CPU configuration with eight performance cores, Wi-Fi 7 support, an integrated 5G modem, and can also connect via Thunderbolt and an eGPU enclosure Accommodates a desktop graphics card.
Assuming that the first batch of Windows notebooks equipped with Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 processors will be launched by the end of 2024, the price advantage will also be the key to sparking healthy competition.
It’s a pity that Qualcomm doesn’t have a practice of charging partners competitive prices for its products, and it was previously reported that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will cost $160 each, which is more expensive than the A16 Bionic.
Regardless, we’d like to see some competition in this space, and Qualcomm could be the next to take on Apple, one of the few companies in this space.
