2023-10-26 10:08:27
While Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the chip that will arrive on high-end Android smartphones in 2024, the founder started talking regarding its successor. An SoC that might be more expensive, which might impact the price of the best Android smartphones that will be released in 2025.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. // Source : Frandroid – Robin Wycke
This October 24, Qualcomm presented the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, an SoC dedicated to high-end smartphones. We already know certain models which will feature this brand new chip and which will be released in 2024. Of course, the company is already preparing the sequel: it will be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. It should be presented at the end of 2024, to arrive on the market in 2025 Unfortunately, the chip should be more expensive, according to Qualcomm’s own words. Enough to increase prices for manufacturers, and ultimately for consumers.
If the price of the chip increases, so does the price of the smartphone
The chip, or SoC, is the most expensive part in a smartphone, including high-end ones. For example, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is estimated to represent 35% of the total price of the components of this Galaxy smartphone. The second most expensive component is far behind and it is the screen: 18% on this model once more.
The distribution of Samsung subcontractors for the manufacturing of a Galaxy S23 Ultra // Source: Counterpoint
Thus, if the price of the chip increases, so does the price of the smartphone, since the manufacturer can pass on all or part of the increase in the final price of the smartphone it sells. With the general increase in prices, to avoid excessive inflation, manufacturers are even considering changing their strategy. Some might use in 2024 not the latest SoC from Qualcomm, but that of the previous year, including for high-end models.
A price increase on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 which will be presented in 2024 might lead to a price increase on the most expensive smartphones which will be released in 2025. We are thinking for example of the Samsung Galaxy S25, the OnePlus 13, the Xiaomi 15, the Honor Magic 7 Pro, or even the Zenfone 12. Nothing indicates that these smartphones will one day be released, but they would be a continuation of what the manufacturers market.
A more expensive, but more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
It was Qualcomm vice-president Chris Patrick who confirmed the information withAndroid Authority : it should be more expensive. The manager justifies this with “ astonishing levels of performance “. In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be powered by custom Oryon CPU cores. Qualcomm would no longer call on the British ARM for the cores of its chips, but on Nuvia, a firm bought two years ago by itself. The performance gain would be 40% in multi-coreand 15% in calculation single-core according to rumors.
For Christ Patrick, it is not necessarily more expensive, but Qualcomm seeks to find a better balance between price, power consumption and performance of its chips. A balance which might not be in favor of manufacturers and in fineconsumers.
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