Qualcomm's latest chipset will make AI-powered phones more affordable

Qualcomm, the company that powers many of the world's leading smartphones, has announced the latest hardware that's going to make AI phones even more affordable and ensure everyone can get access to the latest features.

Qualcomm's flagship hardware is currently the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That's the sort of hardware you have in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Sitting alongside this is Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 which powers phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra – a slight step down, but still very capable.

Moving down a tier further you have Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, which is what powers the Honor 200, and finally we arrive at the new hardware – Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.

You'll notice that there are a number of tiers, with the 8 series at the top and the 7 series designed for mid-range devices. Within those tiers there's also differentiation, with that "s" added to the name.

The "s" versions of Snapdragon hardware, in Qualcomm's words, "leverages specially selected features from the 7-series" so that you get a more affordable chip that still delivers the core skills that your device needs.

In this case, you'll still get the technology to power generative AI, advanced cameras and deliver great games on a phone, but there might be sacrifices in some other areas. The result is that the manufacturer can then offer lower-priced devices, with the customer not really missing out in any noticeable way.

Yes, the 7s Gen 3 won't be as powerful as the 7 Gen 3 in all areas, but as long as you have more money left in your pocket and your phone does everything you need it to, then you're a winner.

Who will be using the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3?

Qualcomm has confirmed that Realme, Samsung, Sharp and Xiaomi have already confirmed they will be releasing Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 devices. Brands like Xiaomi are more typical of this type of hardware because they offer a wider range of affordable devices.

And it looks like the first phone to use the new hardware will be from Redmi: "We are thrilled to be the first to adopt Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 in an upcoming mobile device,” confirmed the Xiaomi sub-brand's general manager, Thomas Wang.

Qualcomm details that the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 has a 40% faster GPU, 30% better AI performance and 12% power savings compared to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, which powered the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion.

Phones running this hardware are expected to offer a great experience including AI skills for under £300.