Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 may have an unusual 1+2+2+3 CPU configuration

Qualcomm is already looking ahead to what comes next following the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1's ability to fulfill the need for a high-performance CPU until the end of the year. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, Qualcomm is considering a highly unusual 1+2+2+3 CPU layout.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU will contain the following cores: one Cortex-X3, two Cortex-A720, two A710, and three A510. Or to go by their code names, 1x Makalu-Elp, 2x Makalu, 2x Matterhorn and 3x Klein-R1.

The names Makalu and Matterhorn should be familiar to you if you've been following ARM's announcements. Those were intended to bridge the gap between the Cortex-X1/A78 generation and the future Cortex-X2/A710 model. The next generation is clearly labeled as "Matterhorn" in this chart, while "Makalu" is the follow-up.

The Cortex-X3 and A720 are reported to provide a 30% boost in peak CPU performance over the X1/A78 cores, with a smaller jump from the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Presumably, this is due to improved performance at identical clock speeds. According to DCS, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550, code name Kailua ES) will be manufactured on TSMC's N4 node utilizing the same 4nm process as the 8+ Gen 1. As a result, we can't anticipate huge gains in clock speeds.

The next-generation Qualcomm chipset will likely have four CPU cores, according to a recent report. However, if that's what it takes to deliver next-gen performance, then so be it. Anyway, the Gen 2 flagship processor is said to make use of an Adreno 740 GPU, which isn't very informative. It will follow the same architecture as the 730 in current chipsets but any performance improvements are postponed for future leaks.

Qualcomm usually unveils the next-generation flagship chipset at the end of the year, with a big in-person gathering on the island of Hawaii (which explains all of the Hawaii-themed codenames).