Qualcomm launches two new smartphone chips with emphasis on AI
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Extreme Gen 6 chips featuring new sensing hubs for on-device AI and advanced video recording capabilities.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Qualcomm announces two flagship mobile processors: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Extreme Gen 6
- New sensing hubs support up to 200-million-parameter models running locally
- Extreme version supports a 30B MoE model and 8K 60fps video recording
- Motorola introduces the Motorola Signature 27 powered by the Extreme chip
Qualcomm has announced two flagship smartphone processors, named Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, with a primary focus on empowering advanced artificial intelligence features on mobile devices.
During its annual Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm detailed that the new processors are designed to facilitate better personalization for AI agents. The chips incorporate new sensing hubs capable of running small models of up to 200 million parameters directly on the device. This enables smartphones to run a personal scribe locally, differentiate between multiple speakers, and build behavioral memory to deliver smarter task automation suggestions as well as complete voice-in and voice-out agent interactions.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 features a dedicated accelerator element engineered to execute models more efficiently. Meanwhile, the high-end Extreme variant is capable of running a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts (MoE) model locally, meaning the processor selectively activates only the necessary parameters required for any given specific task.
In addition to AI enhancements, the new Qualcomm CPU delivers pixel-level camera control for professional-grade imaging experiences, alongside improved stabilization and motion understanding. The Extreme version supports video recording at 8K 60fps and 4K 240fps for ultra HD slow-motion capture, while also introducing support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec.
Qualcomm's release of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 series underscores the semiconductor industry's rapid shift toward robust on-device AI execution. By enabling hardware-level processing for multi-million parameter models directly on mobile handsets, these chips minimize latency and significantly improve user data privacy, serving as a vital stepping stone for pervasive daily AI agents.
During the event, Motorola revealed its Motorola Signature 27 smartphone powered by the Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, slated for commercial availability later this year. Qualcomm noted it is currently collaborating on over 40 AI-focused devices, reinforcing the broader industry consensus that smartphones will remain the primary hub for consumer AI interaction over dedicated single-purpose gadgets.
Source: TechCrunch
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