Qualcomm’s next major mobile platform that has been widely addressed as Snapdragon 898 numerous times in the past is going to have a different name. In fact, it could even become the first to reflect Qualcomm’s new naming conventions for its chipsets.
But it is not as conspicuous as it looks because Qualcomm has made some radical changes inside out ahead of its Snapdragon Tech Summit on November 30.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are now different brands
First off, Qualcomm announces that going forward Snapdragon will be regarded as a standalone product brand “with specific ties to the Qualcomm brand where appropriate.” The California-based semiconductor giant didn’t divulge details about where Snapdragon would relinquish Qualcomm to be self-sufficient and where it’d clasp itself again.
Deciphering Qualcomm’s underlying message could be difficult for now, given that the company has shed little to zilch information (the promotional video also reads “to be continued”). However, one thing seems clear that we as end-users need not have to bother about the separation since this appears as an internal change only. Companies keep their segments different just to simplify their lineups and Qualcomm looks to have done something similar only.
Snapdragon was introduced as a suite of system-on-a-chip semiconductor products designed and marketed by Qualcomm Technologies back in the day but moving forward, we might see it marketed solely under its brand name. However, there could be more to the story, which we might hear during its upcoming Tech Summit.
Changes inside out
Before announcing the separation, Qualcomm took a moment to remind us how Snapdragon is going places and why it is viable to become a self-reliant entity. Snapdragon has been empowering several product categories ranging from smartphones, wearables, tablets, XR devices, PCs, and even cars. Qualcomm believes Snapdragon as a brand has been engineered to leverage its in-house developed technologies to offer new experiences across different products.
Qualcomm also said it is launching a new simplified and consistent naming structure to its platforms, starting with the upcoming Snapdragon 8-series platforms. It will “transition to a single-digit series and generation number.”
So, the much-rumored Snapdragon 898 could launch as Snapdragon 8 Gen1 platform for smartphones. And then, in 2022, we might see Snapdragon 8 Gen2 taking the succession. Qualcomm referring to “platform” indicates the change in the naming convention is just not meant for the mobile phone processors.
Qualcomm had changed its naming schemes in the past as well. The Snapdragon brand first came to retail in 2008 and had Snapdragon S1, S2, S3, and S4 lines, which later got replaced in 2012 with Snapdragon 200, Snapdragon 400…. to Snapdragon 800 series naming.
It is unknown why Qualcomm is bringing the change again. It is believed that the company might be out of numbers in its scheme and thought to just refresh it.
In related news, Qualcomm’s direct competitor MediaTek also made a couple of changes in its naming scheme to avoid confusion among consumers. The Dimensity chips are for smartphones, “Kompanio” for laptops, and “Pentonic” for TVs.
Other than the underlying changes, Snapdragon is getting some cosmetic changes to represent performance tiers and product categories. They include Gold, Snapdragon Red, Nickel, Gunmetal, and Midnight. It’s unknown what each one will represent, though Qualcomm made a special mention to its gold portfolio stating this category will consist of entirely premium-tier products.
Qualcomm also said its “fireball” will gain new prominence. The company goes on to state their respective badges have also been redesigned with a cleaner, modern, and straightforward look and feel.
