Forget performance: Qualcomm’s new phone chip is all about AI agents
So, why has Qualcomm decided to launch a second version of what is already the most capable Android silicon? Two words: agentic AI.
Who run this phone? AI (maybe)
Every time I review an Android flagship running Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset, I make a comment along the lines of it seemingly having loads of performance in reserve.
For many years, Snapdragon silicon has stayed ahead of the curve, even following the explosion of generative AI tools in 2023.
Qualcomm
Now, though, Qualcomm feels like it has to do so again. It explicitly describes the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 as a higher tier that’s specifically designed for the “agentic AI era”.
AI tools that work mostly independently across multi-step processes and complex workflows are incredibly power-hungry. Qualcomm has responded by significantly upgrading basically every part of its new chipset.
In terms of pure output, the Oryon CPU is unmatched in the industry. Qualcomm claims it’s the “world’s first 5GHz mobile CPU”, reaching a new milestone for pure output on its two prime cores. These are joined by six performance cores that can hit 4GHz speeds.