Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 is still new, but of course the chipmaker is already looking to the next level. Development of the next flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845, is well underway. Early rumors about the chip suggest it will naturally be a powerhouse, but also be a major step forward.
Interestingly, Qualcomm has already hinted that its next flagship chip will be called the Snapdragon 845. However, the company has not discussed how powerful the chip will be. However, reports suggest it will be built on a 7nm process to achieve a smaller footprint.
The processor will deliver performance around 25 percent to 35 percent better than the Snapdragon 835.
Samsung is using Qualcomm’s current flagship in its recently announced Galaxy S8 smartphone. The South Korean company is likely to be the first to access the Snapdragon 845, too. Samsung helped Qualcomm develop the 835 and could be collaborating again on the new chipset.
Expect to see the 845 arrive on Samsung’s Galaxy S9, which will not launch until spring, 2018.
It is no surprise to see Qualcomm building with the 7nm process, which has become increasingly popular. Apple, AMD, and MediaTek are also using the process, with the first example due to drop later in the year.
Qualcomm and Samsung
One of the most interesting things about Qualcomm and Samsung’s collaboration is that the companies are actually locked in a battle.
The Korean trade commission has accused the US company stopping Samsung from selling its mobile chip technology outside of its own subsidiaries.
Samsung signed a deal with Qualcomm back in 1993, before the idea of smartphones could even be imagined. The agreement allowed the company to access Qualcomm’s patents to create its own chipsets. Under the terms, the South Korean giant could not sell these processors outside of its subsidiaries.
