What you need to know
- The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is rumored to launch earlier this year.
- An early launch could see Qualcomm ditching the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 SoC variant.
- It is also expected to have 25% higher performance and 20% higher efficiency than its predecessor SoC.
Qualcomm is known for the amazing flagship SoCs that power the best Android smartphones year after year. The chipset maker is known to have a new flagship chip at the top of the year and a plus variant with slightly enhanced performance characteristics of the device in the second half. There is a possibility.
As pointed out by the Android Authority, rumors are now hinting that Qualcomm is ditching the Plus variant of its flagship SoC entirely in favor of a direct successor. This could move the next flagship chipset launch to his October. That’s a month ahead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which launched a month earlier than the previous generation.
The rumor also details desirable features of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This is said to be 25% more performant and 20% more efficient than his previous SoC.
Additionally, the SD 8 Gen 3 is codenamed “Lanai” and has the model number SM8650. It is also supposed to have a 1+5+2 core configuration which is different from the 1+4+3 configuration of his current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Recent Android flagship phones like the OnePlus 11 have been shipping with this year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and the 8 Gen 2 is expected to be more Android-powered at least in the first half of this year. It is expected to ship to mobile.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 models, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra, shipped globally for the first time with a slightly tweaked “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy” SoC, with clock speeds boosted for better performance.
A future model, perhaps the OnePlus 11T or Samsung’s upcoming foldable phone, was naturally expected to ship with a plus version of Qualcomm’s flagship processor, given the history of previously released models. However, Samsung may opt for the 8th Gen 2 for the Galaxy when it launches its upcoming foldable device.
While it’s still just a rumor at this point, Qualcomm’s schedule change could be a result of an ongoing semiconductor shortage and the company’s efforts to streamline its offerings. That doesn’t mean he’s optimistic about the company’s prospects amid declining sales.
Still, it’s an interesting move to launch a new successor chip this early, and it’s hard to imagine an Android device running on two different flagship SoCs in the same year.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+ have new designs and larger batteries. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy gives phones better performance than any other player on the market.These will be the phones to beat in 2023.