The latest whispers surrounding Qualcomm’supcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4system-on-a-chip (SOC) processor suggest it will be a serious power hog. We’re talking about needing batteries over 6,000mAh. These rumors — and that’s all they are currently — are raising eyebrows in the tech world.
The rumors come from aWeibo channeland were reported on byMobile Syrup. If true, it means any phone packing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will have a shorter battery life and require a bulkier casing to handle the larger batteries and vapor chambers. And we’re not sure exactly how much faster this SOC will be compared to the currentSnapdragon 8 Gen 3.
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What do the rumors say?
Notable leakers with solid track records say this thing will be a beast
Two reliable sources have leaked information about the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. LeakerDigital Chat Stationis one of the bigger names in leaks, and they have a recordfor being right. This insider is suspected of working within the Xiaomi technology park, granting them access to many production secrets.
The other leaker isSouth Korean DC Insider, who claims to have received a fully assembled Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip and was able to test its power characteristics.
According to DC Insider, the new chip features six Phoenix L and two Phoenix M CPU cores that could lead to a total power draw of a whopping 14.2W. That’s a huge increase from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s draw of 11.3W.
The implications of these leaks are troubling.
If these rumors are true, and the cascade of reports suggests they are, we could see a new era of enormous Android flagships very soon.
Why would Qualcomm make a power-hungry SOC?
It might not be for everyone
We suspect that, if these rumors are true, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 won’t be found in every flagship. The chip will instead be used for a niche segment of thehigh-end Android market. A few things help inform our suspicions:
We still need to remember that this is all speculation. Only Qualcomm knows the actual reasons behind the chip’s power draw, and they remain mum on the matter.
Should we be concerned?
It’s still too early to panic, but caution is warranted
It’s essential to remember that these are all still just rumors. They may come from reliable sources, but even these leakers sometimes get it wrong. The units they got their hands on may not be the final version released to the world, and the true extent of any power consumption issues won’t be clear until Qualcomm officially unveils the new chip.
Even if the leaks are spot-on, concerns could potentially be addressed through optimizations closer to launch. After all, Qualcomm has a vested interest in ensuring its chips are as power-efficient as possible. It is a tight market with fierce competitors. Google’s Tensor chips and Apple’s A-series bionic chips are Qualcomm’s biggest competition, so we don’t see how Qualcomm will let something as serious as out-of-control power draw hold them back.
The tech industry has the power to surprise us, and there are always people working away diligently in the background to ensure their products are the best they can be.
Our verdict: wait and see
There’s no point in getting worked up over something that doesn’t exist
There will certainly be raised eyebrows if the rumors about Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 are correct. After all, we could be looking at impacts on battery life, phone size, and thermal performanceon new phones.
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But it’s important to remain calm until real-world testing becomes available. There are plenty of examples of early leaks proving overblown or manufacturers finding solutions to problems. Until Qualcomm officially releases the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, we remain unconcerned.
