Qualcomm (QCOM) is moving deeper into the generative AI space with its latest smartphone chip, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. This processor will be included in his Android smartphones from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Honor, and is his second to be added to his Snapdragon 8 from Qualcomm. Generation 3 family.
Similar to the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm markets the 8s Gen 3 as an on-device AI powerhouse. The company says the processor supports many models including Meta's Llama 2 and Google's Gemini Nano.
The 8s Gen 3 is just below the standard 8 Gen 3 in terms of performance and price, and will likely be found in smartphones just below flagship devices. The company says it has dropped many of the top-of-the-line 8 Gen 3's key features into its 8s Gen 3, including high-powered gaming performance.
But Qualcomm is primarily positioning the chip as a generative AI processor. So far, generative AI features on the device include photo editing and real-time translation. Smartphone makers are increasingly turning to the technology as a key selling point and the first major software change to the devices in a while.
The smartphone market has been largely stagnant for the past few years, with only incremental changes to cameras and processing speeds. As a result, consumers are more likely to hold on to their devices for longer periods of time, slowing down overall sales.
But generative AI could be exactly what the market needs: a flashy new feature that lets consumers update their phones at a faster clip.
Android smartphone makers have been early on with this technology, with Samsung and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) touting their latest products as generative AI-enabled devices. Apple (AAPL) is widely expected to announce some kind of generative AI software at its developer conference WWDC, likely in June.
Wall Street analysts have pointed to generative AI as a potential catalyst for boosting sales of Apple's next-generation iPhone. The company hasn't announced anything about what it's developing, but CEO Tim Cook believes generative AI is a “huge opportunity for Apple,” and the iPhone maker will show off what it's developing later this year. He said he would.
But generative AI apps and features are still in their infancy, and there's nothing on the market yet that's interesting enough to send people rushing out the front door to their local smartphone shop.
Also, some of the most well-known generative AI apps, like ChatGPT, are cloud-based. That is, it doesn't matter what kind of chip your smartphone is running. As long as you are connected to the Internet, you may be able to use the Service.
Still, as developers continue to develop the technology and incorporate it into more apps, chips that can run them, like the 8s Gen 3, will become increasingly important to users who want to take advantage of their software. .
daniel howley I'm the technology editor at Yahoo Finance. He has been covering the technology industry since his 2011. You can follow him on Twitter. @Daniel Howley.
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