The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a modified version of the blazingly fast Snapdragon Gen 2 chip inside, and it appears that Qualcomm is working on something even better for next year's best Android phones including the Samsung Galaxy S24.
According to a new report in SamMobile (opens in new tab), Qualcomm is rumoured to be working on another flagship processor – but rather than modifying the second version of the Gen 2, the Gen 2 Plus, it seems that it might go straight to the Snapdragon Gen 3 instead. That could mean a significant performance and battery boost for the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung's foldable phones such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 too.
What will the next generation Snapdragon mean for your phone?
The Gen 3, codenamed "Lanai", is believed to have a different core configuration: where the Gen 2 has a 1+4+3 core configuration, the Gen 3 will apparently have a 1+5+2 configuration designed to boost energy efficiency by as much as 20%. That's likely to have a very significant effect on the Samsung Galaxy S24 battery life.
The SamMobile report is based on a leak from a known source on the Chinese social network Weibo, who claims that Qualcomm intends to launch the Gen 3 sooner than expected: the normal timetable would mean a December 2023 launch but the source says Qualcomm is pencilling in an October 2023 launch instead.
It's important to note that this is a single leak on social media, and as with all such leaks should be taken with a pretty hefty pinch of salt. But that said, Qualcomm is of course going to be working on new processors for the best phones in 2024, and given Samsung's importance in the marketplace it'd be very odd if Qualcomm wasn't working on something that'd make the 2024 Galaxy phones and their folding friends even more powerful. No doubt we'll hear much more about the Snapdragon Gen 3 in the coming months.
