Qualcomm has announced two new flagship processors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, designed to improve on-device artificial intelligence.
The new chips
At the Snapdragon Summit, the company stated these processors help personalise AI agents. New sensing hubs allow the running of small models containing up to 200 million parameters. This enables phones to host a personal scribe locally, distinguish between different speakers, and build memory from user habits to automate tasks. Qualcomm claims the hardware can run a complete voice-in and voice-out agent.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 includes a new accelerator for efficient model running. The Extreme version can process a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts model locally. In this architecture, the full model size is 30 billion, but only specific parameters activate for any given task.
For context, Apple released a 20-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts model at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June. This was the most advanced model in Apple’s third generation of foundation models.
Camera and audio improvements
The updated CPU offers pixel-level control for cameras to support pro-level experiences, alongside better stabilisation and motion understanding. The Extreme version supports 8K recording at 60fps and 4K at 240fps for ultra HD slow motion. It also enables the new Advanced Professional Video codec.
Both chips use AI to enhance vocals and cut background noise. They also feature Qualcomm’s new voice bubble technology, which isolates a user’s voice during calls.
Devices and trends
Motorola announced the Motorola Signature 27 at the event. This phone uses the Snapdragon Gen 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip and will be available later this year.
Qualcomm is developing more than 40 AI devices. However, many believe people will continue to use their phones for AI rather than switching to dedicated hardware. Carl Pei, co-founder of Nothing, has hinted at this trend previously. John Ternus, the new Apple CEO, reinforced the same point during the iPhone Duo launch earlier this month.
What it means
These chips aim to keep advanced AI features on the handset instead of requiring a separate device. The ability to run larger models locally means users can get personalised assistants without relying entirely on cloud connections.
